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THE    COMPLETE    BOXER 


THE   STRAKiHT   LKP^T   AT   THP:   HKAD   IS   THK   BEST  OF   ALL   BLOWS" 

{see  page  6i) 


THE 
COMPLETE  BOXER 

BY 

J.  G.  BOHUN  LYNCH 

WITH   A   PREFACE   BY 

THE  EARL  OF  LONSDALE 

AND 

WITH  TWO  CHAPTERS  ON  ARMY  BOXING  BY 
J.  H.  W.  KNIGHT-BRUCE 


WITH  SEVENTEEN  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW    YORK 

FREDERICK   A.    STOKES   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


First  Published  in  1^14 


PREFATORY  LETTER  BY 
LORD  LONSDALE 

**LowTHER,  Penrith. 

"  My  Dear  Mr.  Lynch, 

**  I  have  read  with  the  greatest  interest 
what  to  me  is  the  finest  description  of  the  origin 
of  Boxing  that  I  have  ever  heard  or  read,  and  I 
offer  you  my  humble  compliments  on  the  most 
thorough  and  historic  rdsum^  I  imagine  has  ever 
been  produced. 

**Your  description  of  the  origin  and  purposes 
of  Boxing  is  of  itself  interesting  and  instructive, 
and  accurate  to  a  degree.  Coming  to  the  General 
Hints,  I  have  read  and  re-read  them,  and  I  am  not 
master  enough  of  the  English  language  to  find  a 
word  that  could  convey  a  high  enough  estimate 
of  the  whole  of  the  practical  advice,  and  they  show 
a  masterly  knowledge  of  all  that  happens  in  the 
ring. 

"The  Cardinal  Blows  and  Counter  Blows  are 
most  accurately  described,  and  anyone  who  follows 
your  instructions  accurately  must  derive  the  greatest 
possible  advantage,  not  to  say  instruction.  I  also 
entirely  agree  with  what  you  say  about  *  K nock-Out 
Blows,'  but  to  my  mind  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
a  'knock-out  blow,'  except  the  blow  that  'knocks 
out,' — a  very  Irish  statement,  but  what    I    mean  is 


vi  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

that  any  blow  that  causes  concussion  of  the  jaw- 
bone, from  whatever  punch  —  causes  vibration  of 
the  brain,  and  that  no  matter  if  the  blow  is  on 
the  neck  or  chin  or  chest,  or  with  a  dropping 
head,  or  whatever  means,  becomes  a  *  knock-out 
blow.'  But  to  describe  any  particular  blow  as  a 
certain  *  knock-out  blow '  is  to  me  (in  my  ignorance) 
an  impossibility.  I  have  often  heard  of  and  seen  a 
boxer  in  a  competition  going  on  the  off  chance  of 
a  'knock-out  blow,'  and  nine  times  out  of  ten  it 
has  never  come  off,  because  the  position  of  the 
adversary  prevented  it  taking  effect. 

**Your  Training  remarks  are  valuable  and  ab- 
solutely correct  in  my  humble  judgment.  And  I 
think  it  would  be  impertinence  on  my  part  were  I  to 
in  any  way  criticize  so  able  a  work — on  an  art  that  is 
healthy,  honest,  and  in  the  best  interests  of  daily  life 
and  exercise,  and  a  game  that  helps  young  men  to 
keep  their  head,  know  what  a  blow  is,  keep  their 
temper  under  trying  circumstances,  and  above  all 
helps  to  educate  them  in  the  most  valuable  asset  in 
life — Presence  of  Mind. 

**  I  only  hope  that  your  book,  which  deserves  the 
greatest  praise,  may  be  successful  to  a  degree,  and 
that  it  may  help  to  bring  about  a  continuance  of  a 
science  of  which  Englishmen  are  proud,  and  which 
has  done  so  much  for  those  who  have  proved  heroes 
for  their  country. 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

«  LONSDALE " 


CONTENTS 


CHAP. 

I.  The  Origin  of  Boxing 


II.  The  Purposes  of  Boxing 

1 
.      13 

III.  Bare  Knuckles      .          .          .          . 

.      30 

IV.  General  Hints       .           .           .           . 

.      48 

V.  The  Cardinal  Blows 

.      61 

VI.  Defence        .          .          .          .          . 

.      69 

VII.  Counter  Blows      .          .          .          . 

.      78 

VIII.  In-Fighting  .           .           .           .           . 

.      87 

IX.  Knock-Out  Blows  .          .          .          . 

•      95 

X.  Training       .          .          .          .          . 

.    104 

XI.  Competitions          .           .           .           . 

.    124 

XII.  Actual  Self-Defence 

.    146 

XIII.  Professional  Boxing 

.    160 

XIV.  Refereeing  ..... 

.    176 

XV.  The  Organization  of  a  Club    . 

.    184 

viii  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

CHAP.  PAGE 

XVI.  Military  Boxing  :  Its  Origin  and  Growth  .  .    193 

By  J.  H.  W.  Knight-Bruce 

XVII.  Regimental    Boxing   Clubs   and    Military   Tour- 
naments .......    210 

By  J.  H.  W.  Knight-Bruce 

Appendix    I.  Rules  of  the  Amateur  Boxing  Association    225 

„  II.  Rules    of    the    Royal    Navy    and    Army 

Boxing  Association  .  .  .  .227 

„        III.  Rules  of  the  National  Sporting  Club      .    233 

„        IV.  Conditions  for  Public  School  Boxing        .    235 


Index  ........    237 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Straight  Left  at  the  Head 

Thf  Roman  Caestus  and  the  Modern  Boxing  Glove 

A  Right  Hand  Body  Blow 

Side-stepping  away  from  a  Straight  Left 

Wells  and  Flynn  . 

From  a  Photograph  by  Topical  Press  Agency 
Guard  for  a  Straight  Left 
Summers  and  Lewis 

From  a  Photograph  by  the  Gaumont  Co.  Ltd. 

A  Left  Hand  Cross-Counter     . 
In-Fighting  .... 
A  Left  Hook  at  the  Jaw 
A  Street  Fight 
Guarding  a  Right  Swing 
The  Referee  in  the  Ring 

From  a  Photograph  by  Topical  Press  Agency 

Ducking  from  a  Right  Swing  and  Countering  on  the 
"Mark" 

A  Right  Hand  Cross-Counter  . 

Bombardier  Wells  and  Gunner  Moir 

From  a  Photograph  by  the  Gaumont  Co.  Ltd. 


.  Frontispiece 

FACING   PAGE 

i6 


30 
46 
60 

76 
90 

106 

120 
136 
150 
166 
180 

196 
210 
220 


THE 
COMPLETE  AMATEUR  BOXER 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  ORIGIN  OF  BOXING 

"  Sweet  Science  of  Bruising !    how  often  has  man, 
Twice  as  strong  as  his  fellow,  presumed  just  to  lark  it ; 
But  deceived  in  his  brutal  and  hectoring  plan, 
Has  lain,  "wanting  wind,"  in  Fleet  Ditch  or  Fleet  Market." 

IT  is  perfectly  impossible  to  treat  Boxing  merely 
as  the  Noble  Art  of  Self-Defence.  That  is  what 
it  is  habitually  called ;  and  before  proceeding 
to  describe  the  various  lights  in  which  it  may  be 
regarded  nowadays,  the  reader  should  be  reminded 
that  in  the  first  instance — in  its  genesis — boxing  was 
a  sport  and  a  sport  only. 

If  people  wanted  to  hurt  each  other  they  re- 
sorted to  weapons ;  and  if  there  were  no  weapons 
handy  we  may  be  very  sure  that  they  tried  to 
strangle  each  other,  and  learned  the  best  and  quickest 
way  of  doing  that  before  ever  they  considered  the 
advantages  of  temporary  disablement  from  a  hard 
blow  with  the  clenched  fist.  For  personal  warfare, 
with  bad  blood  in  it,  natural  methods  were  resorted 
to :  and  boxing  is  not  in  the  least  natural.  It  is 
sheer  artifice.  Natural  methods  are  animal  methods 
— scratching  and  clawing  and  kicking.     Mr.  E.   B. 


2       •  •   •        •  THE  COMiPLETE  BOXER 

Michell,  writing  in  the  Badminton  Library,  points 
out  that  children  learn  the  means  for  strife  from  cats, 
dogs  and  horses ;  that  even  the  closing  of  the  hand 
for  purposes  of  inflicting  injury  is  itself  unnatural. 

The  argument  may  be  carried  further  than  this,  for 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  in  human  beings,  in  common  with 
other  animals,  there  is  an  instinct  to  use  natural 
weapons  :  teeth  and  nails  because  they  are  sharp ; 
feet,  because  the  legs  are  strong ;  the  head — for  but- 
ting— because  it  is  (or  certainly  was  in  the  days  of 
our  remote  ancestors)  hard.  Then,  in  the  process  of 
civilization,  men  learned  the  damage  to  be  wrought 
with  knuckles.  But  human  life  was  little  accounted 
of ;  and  if  a  man  attacked  you  or  aggravated  you  in 
some  way,  a  weapon — anything  from  a  heavy  bone 
to  a  fine  steel  blade — was  what  you  took  to  him. 

On  occasions  of  lesser  gravity,  a  slap  with  the  open 
palm  would  be  sufficient,  as  it  is  to-day  :  and  it  is 
certainly  probable  that  two  quarrelsome  young  Greeks, 
emulating  some  Olympic  hero,  may  have  battered  each 
other  with  their  bare  knuckles.  But  there  would  be 
no  system  about  the  fight,  and  doubtless  after  a  while 
it  would  have  degenerated  into  a  first-class  scratching 
match.  But  the  athletes  of  this  early  world — those 
who  for  honour  and  glory  and  display  (and  later  on, 
it  must  be  confessed,  for  material  reward)^ — pro- 
digiously exerted  their  rhuscles,  called  into  account 
their  utmost  staying  power — these  learned  fist-fighting 
as  a  recreation. 

The  earliest  record  wb  have  of  any  strife,  whether 

^  Solon  decreed  that  five  hundred  drachmae  should  be  paid  to  each 
Olympic  victor. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  BOXING  3 

in  self-defence,  or  for  a  wager,  or  for  pure  sport, 
which  in  the  smallest  degree  resembles  what  we  con- 
ceive by  the  word  boxing,  comes  from  the  Greeks. 
**  The  literary  accounts  are  either  very  early  or  very 
late,"  writes  Mr.  K.  T.  Frost  in  the  Journal  of 
Hellenic  Studies^  *'and  most  of  the  latter  seem  to  be 
echoes  of  Homer."  It  is  Homer  indeed  who  tells  us 
of  IfidvTe^ — leather  thongs  wound  round  the  knuckles 
and  the  fore-arm,  not  so  much  to  increase  the  deadliness 
of  the  blow  as  to  protect  the  wearer.  These  were 
subsequently  called  fieCkix'^L,  lest  they  should  be  con- 
founded with  the  more  ferocious  type  of  hand-covering  ^ 
used  in  later  days  :  which  amounted  to  a  weapon,  and 
may  be  said  to  have  culminated  in  the  Roman  cestus. 
In  many  cases  these  were  considerably  more  barbar- 
ous than  the  modern  knuckle-duster.  They  were  not 
used  in  the  Olympic  games, 

"  Even  the  fieCkixaiy'  writes  Mr.  Frost,  **  make 
comparison  with  English  boxing  difficult,  so  we  must 
be  particularly  thankful  that  Homer  has  described 
the  fight  with  bare  fists  between  Irus  and  Odysseus 
with  a  clearness  and  moderation  very  rare  in  the 
annals  of  the  ring.  The  two  competitors  presented 
a  very  different  appearance.  Irus  was  much  the 
taller  and  heavier  and  had  also  the  advantage  in  age. 
Odysseus,  on  the  other  hand,  was  of  medium  height, 
but  broad-shouldered,  deep-chested  and  muscular  : 
evidently  a  typical  middle-weight :  ten  years  earlier 
he  had  been  one  of  the  best  runners  and  wrestlers  in 
the  Greek  army,  so  that  he  had  possessed  that  quick- 

^  Journal  of  Hellenic  Studies^  vol.  xxvi. 
^  (T(f)aipaij  and  fiTipiir}K€S. 


4  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

ness  on  which  a  middle-weight  must  rely  when  pitted 
against  a  man  heavier  than  himself. 

**  The  tactics  he  adopted  were  exactly  those  which 
a  modern  professor  would  employ  against  a  heavier 
but  unskilled  opponent,  namely,  drawing  and  counter- 
ing. His  success  was  complete.  Irus  was  much 
dismayed  when  he  saw  how  big  his  opponent  stripped, 
and  was  probably  more  so  when  he  met  the  eyes  of 
the  king.  Anyhow  he  seems  to  have  made  a  half- 
hearted lead  off,  more  as  a  feeler  than  a  blow,  as 
beginners  often  do  when  starting  a  round  with  an 
opponent  with  whom  they  are  afraid  to  close  at  once. 
This  blow,  contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  must  have 
been  delivered  with  the  left,  for  it  hit  the  right 
shoulder  of  Odysseus.  It  may  have  merely  fallen 
short,  but  when  we  remember  the  advantage  in 
height  and  reach  possessed  by  Irus,  it  is  more  likely 
that  Odysseus  saw  the  blow  coming,  ducked  his  head 
and  raised  his  shoulder  to  guard  the  chin  and  then 
cross-countered  heavily  with  a  hook-hit:  otherwise 
it  is  difficult  to  understand  the  tremendous  effect  of 
this  knock-out,  especially  as  Odysseus  purposely 
refrained  from  putting  forth  his  full  strength." 

Theocritus  ^  gives  a  fine  account  of  a  combat 
between  Amycus  and  Polydeuces — **him  that  binding 
the  ox-fell  thongs  on  his  knuckles  fights  with  terrible 
fists."  He  comes  to  the  land  of  Bebrycia  and  with 
Castor  leaves  his  ship  and  wanders  off  away  from 
his  companions.  Amongst  the  pine  trees  and  tufted 
cypress  they  come  upon  Amycus — 

*  Theocritus,  Idyll  xxii.    Translated  into  English  verse  by  James 
Henry  Hallard.  (Rivingtons.) 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  BOXING  5 

"...  .  gigantic  and  awful  to  look  on. 

Torn  were  his  ears  by  the  boxer's  blows,  and  orbed  were  his  monstrous 
Bosom  and  back  with  flesh  as  of  iron  ;  like  an  enormous 
Wrought-metal   statue    he    showed.    On    his  arms,  right  up  to    the 

shoulder, 
Firm  stood  his  muscles  like  those  stones  that  a  mountain-torrent 
Rolls  in  the  winter  time  and  rounds  in  the  might  of  the  eddies." 

Amycus  resents  the  trespass  upon  his  land,  and 
will  not  give  the  strangers  so  much  as  a  draught  from 
the  spring. 

"  With  silver  or  what  guerdon  can  we  move  thee  ? " 
"Only  by  putting  hands  up,  man  to  man." 
"Fists  only,  or  with  feet,  and  face  to  face?" 
"Strive  with  thy  fists.  .  .  ."  Amycus  replies. 

So  he  summons  his  friends,  trumpeting  with  a 
hollow  sea  shell ;  and  Castor,  who  seems  to  have 
acted  as  Polydeuces'  second,  goes  to  fetch  the  rest 
of  the  Argonauts. 

"So,    when    their    fists    were    weighted  with  thongs  of  force-giving 

leather. 
Coiling  the  laces  around  each  arm,  they  met  in  the  mid-ring, 
Breathing  slaughter  against  each  other,  and  fiercely  they  struggled 
Whose  back  lay  to  the  sun.     By  skill  won'st  thou,  Polydeuces, 
This  from  the  giant,  and  all  his  face  was  smitten  with  sun-rays. 
Sore  was  his  wrath,  and  forward  he  lunged  with  blows  at  his  rival. 
Him  Tyndarides  hit  on  the  chin  as  he  charged,  and  his  anger 
Thereby  fiercer  was  roused,  and  volleying  random  buffets 
Onward  he  came,  head  down.     The  Bebrycians  uttered  a  clamour; 
Yea,  and  in  answer  the  heroes  cheered  on  stout  Polydeuces, 
Fearing  lest  in  so  narrow  a  place  that  Tityan  giant 
Bore  him  down  with  his  weight.     But  shifting  hither  and  thither, 
Yet  close  ever,  the  son  of  the  Highest  bruised  him  with  both  fists. 
Thwarting  the  onset  wild  of  the  monstrous  child  of  Poseidon. 
Dizzy  with  blows  stood  he  spitting  forth  red  blood,  and  the  heroes 
All  roared  loudly  for  joy  when  they  saw  weals  grievous  arising 
Over  his  mouth  and  jowl.     Half-closed  were  the  eyes  on  the  swollen 
Face  :  Now  with  feints  all  round  him  the  hero  baffled  and  vexed  him ; 


6  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

Then,  when   he   marked  him   a-weary  and  mazed,  with  a  clenched 

fist  smote  him 
Just  'twixt  forehead  and  nose,  and  cut  him  right  to  the  skull-bone. 
Stricken,  he  backward  fell  full  length  in  the  midst  of  the  herbage. 
Grimly  the  fight  was  renewed  when  he  rose  ;  each  battered  his  rival, 
Smiting  with  stubborn  thongs.     The  Bebrycian  leader  assaulted 
Breast  and  thigh  and  neck.     Polydeuces,  peerless  in  combat, 
Mauled  his  foeman's  face  all  over  with  horrible  buffets. 
Quickly  the  giant  waned,  his  flesh  quite  melted  with  sweating, 
Waxed  still  larger  that  other's  limbs  as  he  tackled  his  labour, 
Haler  his  hue. 

....  Amycus,  wishing  to  work  some  wondrous  deed,  from  position 
Swerving  aside,  Polydeuces'  left  hand  gripped  with  his  left  hand  ; 
Then  lunged  forward  sweeping  his  arm  from  his  right  thigh  upward. 
Had  he  but  reached,  he  had  maimed  his  foeman,  the  King  of  Amyclae  ; 
But  with  a  neck-jerk  he  escaped  that  blow,  with  his  right  hand 
Driving  at  Amycus'  head  on  the  left  straight  out  from  the  shoulder. 
Swiftly  the  life-blood  gushed  from  a  gaping  wound  on  the  temple. 
Smiting  his  mouth  with  the  other,  he  rattled  his  ranges  of  tushes, 
Bruising  his  rival's  face  with  strokes  ever  swifter,  and  pounded 
Both  his  cheeks,  till  a-swoon  fell  he  at  last  on  the  meadow 
All  his  length,  and  with  outstretched  hands   sought   truce  from   the 

combat. 
Being  anigh  unto  death.     Yet  so,  no  vengeance  upon  him 
Did'st  thou  conquering  wreak,  Polydeuces,  peerless  of  boxers ; 
Natheless  he  solemnly  sware  by  Poseidon,  his  ocean-father, 
Never,  never  again  to  be  churlish  unto  a  stranger." 

But  for  a  certain  sumptuousness  of  expression, 
this  account  might  stand  for  a  bare-knuckle  fight  of 
the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  :  or  even  for 
a  combat  between  two  men  with  a  quarrel  to-day. 
To  manoeuvre  your  man  so  that  the  light  falls  in  his 
eyes  would  be  one  of  the  first  considerations  in  an 
out  of  doors  encounter.  And  the  latter  might  well 
for  this  reason  deal  buffets  at  random.  The  followers 
of  Polydeuces  are  afraid  lest  the  ponderous  weight  of 
Amycus  should  tell  in — '*so  narrow  a  place."  It  is 
indeed  likely  that  the  smaller  man   would   get   the 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  BOXING  7 

worst  of  it  in  a  corner.  Then  Polydeuces  feints 
agai^\  and  again — a  procedure  if  well  carried  out 
calculated  to  baffle  and  vex  any  boxer.  He  puzzles 
his  antagonist,  and  then  when  he  sees  that  he  has 
grown  slow  from  weariness,  and  mazed — not  knowing 
from  which  mighty  fist  to  expect  the  next  blow — 
Polydeuces  gives  him  a  terrific  hit  in  the  middle  of 
the  face.  Amycus  is  probably  standing  square  and 
is  thus  knocked  down. 

Of  course,  to  make  your  man's  eyes  swell  so  that 
he  could  not  see  properly  was  one  of  the  principal 
objects  in  English  prize-fighting.  The  bare  fist  does 
this  effectually  enough  after  a  time  (unless,  as  in 
the  case  of  Tom  Cribb,  the  famous  champion,  he  has 
a  protruding  bar  of  frontal  bone  with  the  eyes  deep 
set  beneath  it) — so  the  effect  of  hard  strips  of  ox-hide 
can  well  be  imagined. 

Amycus,  it  is  to  be  noticed,  attacked  breast  and 
thigh  and  neck.  The  last  of  these  would  be  a  most 
vulnerable  spot  for  a  naked  fist  or  one  closely  pro- 
tected by  **  stubborn  thongs."  The  modern  boxing 
glove  is  too  bulky  to  do  much  damage  as  a  rule  to 
the  throat,  unless  a  man  throws  his  head  right  back  ; 
or  to  the  neck,  unless  he  exposes  it  by  ducking  his 
head  to  either  side  and  not  recovering  with  sufficient 
quickness.  In  the  ordinary  position  the  blow  would 
be  stopped  between  the  shoulder  and  the  ear  in  the 
latter  case,  and  the  chin  and  the  top  of  the  breast- 
bone in  the  former. 

As  to  "assaulting  the  thigh,"  Amycus  either 
committed  what  would  of  course  be  a  foul  nowadays 
in  English  fist-fighting,  by  striking  below  the  belt ; 


8  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

or  else  he  seized  his  opponent's  thigh  in  order  to 
throw  him.     If  the  former  is  intended  little  purpose 
would  be  served,  as  it  would  require  an  heroic  blow 
indeed  to  hurt  a  man  much  by  punching  his  thigh  : 
but  perhaps  Amycus  was  too  blinded  to  know  where 
he  was  hitting.     On  the  other  hand,  wrestling  was 
not  allowed  in  genuine  Greek  boxing ;  at  all  events 
it  was  prohibited,  together  with  clinching,  at  Olympia. 
Considered    in    every    respect,    the    redoubtable 
Bebrycian  was  a  bad  loser.     Believing  that  his  only 
chance  lies  in  a  free  blow,  he  seizes  Polydeuces'  left 
hand — with    which   he   would   guard — and   attempts 
a  mighty  upper-cut.     This  holding  transgressed  the 
Olympic,  just  as  surely  as   the    Queensberry,  rules. 
Lunging   forward   and   sweeping  his  arm — or  palm, 
as  an  earlier  edition  gives  it — upward  from  his  right 
thigh  can  only  mean  an  upper-cut ;  or  to  be  strict, 
something  between  an   upper-cut  and  a  swing :    for 
you  do  not  "lunge  forward"  to  deliver  a  true  upper- 
cut     The  knuckles  of  his  fist  would  have  been  twenty 
times  more  effective  than   the  palm :    but  we  must 
remember  the  fact  that  he  probably  intended  to  take 
his  adversary  under   the   chin  with   the  butt  of  the 
hand ;    the   thongs  being  tied   so  as  to   make   such 
a  blow   extremely   severe   (see    Illustration).      Then 
Polydeuces  ducks  his  head  to  one  side,  in  quite  the 
approved  fashion  of  to-day,   and  hits   "straight  out 
from  the  shoulder."     The  blow  cuts  a  gaping  wound 
in  the  temple — that  would,  of  course,   be  the  hard 
thongs  again. 

Mr.  Frost,  criticising  another    translation   which 
gives  this  sense,  prefers  the  literal  meaning,  which  is 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  BOXING  9 

— "  with  the  weight  of  the  shoulder,"  but  in  any  case 
the  result  is  the  same ;  and  the  fact  that  Amycus 
swore  not  to  be  churlish  to  strangers  any  more  is 
scarcely  to  be  wondered  at. 

Greek  boxers,  then,  made  a  practice  of  standing 
still  with  their  feet  almost  level ;  and  hitting  mainly 


From  a  Panathenaic  Vase  (Stephani, 
C.  R.  1876,  109). — From  the  Journal 
of  Hellenic  Studies , 


with  the  right,  which  was  well  drawn  back  ;  and 
guarding  with  the  left  hand  outstretched.  They 
never  learned  the  advantages  of  straight  hitting,  but 
were  content  with  swinging  and  chopping  blows — 
these  latter  coming  down  from  above.  This  is  the 
style  commonly  used  even  to-day  by  people  utterly 
unacquainted   with   boxing,    and   which   would   thus 


10  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

appear  to  be  the  natural  style.  It  has,  however, 
nothing  at  all  to  recommend  it.  The  Greeks,  more- 
over, never  realized  the  importance  of  foot-work, 
swinging  the  weight  of  their  bodies  behind  their 
blows  from  the  hips  only. 

It  is  from  the  vases  that  we  learn  most  about 
the  methods  of  Hellenic  boxing.  At  first  sight,  the 
distance  between  the  legs  in  most  of  the  drawings 
appears  to  show  that  the  men  stood  more  or  less  in 
the  orthodox  modern  fashion,  as  in  the  accompanying 
illustration  :  but  the  authorities  on  the  subject  consider 
this  to  be  a  mere  convention  indicating  that  the  feet 
are  widely  separated,  but  on  the  same  level.  This 
was  the  position  assumed  by  the  early  English 
pugilists  ;  and  the  reader  may  call  to  mind  how  Cham- 
pion Harrison,  in  Rodney  Stone,  stood  with  knees 
slightly  bent,  squarely  to  his  man  :  so  that  he  might 
lead  off  with  either  hand.  This,  Sir  A.  Conan  Doyle 
tells  us,  was  the  style  introduced  by  Humphries  and 
Mendoza ;  but  by  Jem  Belcher's  day  it  was  quite 
obsolete  and  was  superseded  by  a  position,  so  far 
as  feet  are  concerned,  almost  identical  with  that  of 
the  modern  boxer. 

Before  lighting  at  Olympia,  writes  Mr.  Frost,  the 
competitors  trained  for  nine  months,  a  preparation 
fully  needed  in  view  of  the  fact  (amongst  other 
things)  that  they  must  battle  in  the  glare  of  the 
noonday  sun.  The  pairs  and  byes  were  decided  by 
lot,  just  as  they  are  to-day.  There  is  nothing  to 
tell  us  that  the  size  of  the  ring  was  defined,  and 
since  there  were  certainly  no  ropes,  all  the  fighting 
would    be    in    the    open,    with    no    opportunity    for 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  BOXING  1 1 

cornering  a  man.  There  were,  moreover,  only  two 
championships,  one  for  boys  and  one  for  men  ;  so 
that  boxers  of  all  weights  had  to  compete  together. 
From  this  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  the  men  were 
for  the  most  part  heavy-weights. 

There  was  no  evidence  of  good-will  between  the 
combatants,  such  as  shaking  hands :  rather  they 
glowered  ferociously  at  each  other.  Each  had  his 
second  who  tied  the  thongs  round  his  knuckles  and 
fore-arms,  but  left  the  thumb  free.  And  these  seconds 
were  allowed  to  shout  advice  or  encouragement  to 
their  principals  during  the  progress  of  the  encounter 
— a  practice  which  is  strictly  prohibited  to-day. 

Mr.  Frost  illustrates  this  point  by  a  story  of 
Glaucus  the  Carystian.  It  appears  that  when  Glaucus 
was  a  boy,  he  re-set  a  loose  ploughshare,  using  his 
fist  as  a  hammer.  And  his  father  was  so  struck  by 
the  feat  that  he  entered  him  at  Olympia  for  the  boys' 
boxing  match.  During  a  fight  with  a  more  skilful 
opponent,  the  father,  who  no  doubt  acted  as  Glaucus' 
second,  saw  that  he  was  hard  pressed  and  shouted  to 
him,  *'  Give  him  one  like  you  did  the  plough,  my 
lad,"  whereupon  the  boy  made  a  prodigious  effort  and 
knocked  his  adversary  down. 

From  the  evidence  at  our  disposal,  we  can  only 
assume  that  Greek  boxing  was  almost  entirely  devoid 
of  science  ;  and  that  quickness,  hard  hitting  and  stoic 
endurance  were  the  three  qualities  to  be  inculcated 
with  a  view  to  success.  And  it  may  as  well  be  added 
here  that  these  are,  in  modern  boxing,  the  primary 
qualities  still  most  carefully  to  be  considered. 

Between  the  annals  of  classical  boxing  and  those 


12  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

of  the  English  prize  ring,  which  was  established  in 
the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  there  is  a 
gulf  of  darkness.  Boxing  of  some  kind  may  have 
been  practised  in  mediaeval  England,  but  we  have  no 
record  of  it.  Wrestling,  of  course,  was  always  a 
popular  sport — showing  that  the  natural  methods  of 
clutching  and  clawing  already  referred  to  were 
tempered  down  to  become  a  pastime.  Jehoshaphat 
Aspin,  writing  in  1825  of  the  Manners,  Customs,  Sports 
and  Pastimes  of  the  Inhabitants  of  England,  tells  of 
a  wrestling  tournament  (The  City  of  London  versus 
the  City  and  Suburbs  of  Westminster)  held  at  St. 
Giles*  in  the  Fields  in  12 19.  The  work  appears  to 
be  an  exhaustive  one,  and  the  fact  that  no  mention 
whatever  is  made  of  boxing  is  accounted  for  by  the 
fact  that  whilst  the  period  he  treats  of  begins  with 
the  arrival  of  the  Saxons,  it  comes  down  only  to  the 
eighteenth  century. 

In  spite  of  its  having  been  a  sport,  pure  and 
simple  and  rather  blood-thirsty,  we  may  disregard 
classical  boxing  for  any  visible  effect  it  has  had  upon 
the  fighting  of  our  own  day,  which,  it  is  quite  sufficient 
to  know,  is  the  outcome  of  the  prize-ring. 


^ 


CHAPTER   II 
THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING 

"  Sports  which  can  produce  thoroughbred  actions  will  outlive  all  the 
sneers  of  the  fastidious,  and  cant  of  the  hyper-critics." 

—Pierce  Egan  to  Captain  Barclay. 

MODERN  Boxing  may  be  partly  an  Art  of 
Self-Defence.  Roughly,  the  man  who 
cannot  box  is  at  the  mercy  of  one  who 
can.  Other  things  being  equal  this  is  certainly  the 
case  :  and  it  is  a  commonplace  that  small  boxers  have 
frequently  thrashed  big  ruffians.  And  boxing  is  a 
sport  :  first  and  foremost  as  an  amusement — good 
fun  ;  then  as  a  means  of  exercise  and  physical  de- 
velopment. It  is  also  a  treatment  to  be  prescribed 
for  toughening  the  sensibilities,  for  teaching  a  mental 
and  bodily  agility,  and  the  quickness  and  vigilance  of 
eye  and  brain. 

Boxing  as  a  means  of  defence  is  admirable,  and  of 
offence.  If  somebody  deserves  hitting,  it  is  better 
that  he  should  be  hit  in  the  right  way  ;  on  his  account 
that  the  blow  may  hurt  more,  on  the  attacker's  that  he 
may  justify  his  quarrel  and  not  unduly  expose  himself 
to  retaliation.  True,  that  in  these  well-ordered  days 
opportunities  for  this  sort  of  thing  are  comparatively 
rare,  but  it  is  always  well  to  rise  to  their  occasion. 
Boxing  in  this  way  has  its  direct  practical  use. 


14  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

Of  all  violent  forms  of  exercise,  boxing  probably 
brings  the  greatest  number  of  muscles  into  play.  It 
is,  or  should  be,  a  most  vehement  kind  of  exertion ; 
and  should  not  be  attempted  by  people  who  are 
physically  unfit,  weak  in  the  heart,  or  those  rare  and 
hyper-sensitive  folk  who  are  genuinely  unable  to 
endure  a  certain  amount  of  ordinary  and  wholesome 
pain.  But  a  steady  course  of  boxing,  beginning 
lightly  and  gradually  increasing  in  severity,  will  give 
wide  and  deep  chests  to  those  who  started  with 
narrow  ones.  It  will  add  enormously  to  the  muscular 
power  of  the  back  and  shoulders.  It  is  the  constant 
movement  of  the  shoulders  and  arms  backwards  and 
forwards  which  expands  the  chest :  and  constant 
turning  of  the  body  from  the  hips  develops  the 
abdominal  muscles. 

Then,  frequent  boxing  really  hardens  a  man  or 
boy  to  bear  pain.  He  grows  so  accustomed  to  hard 
knocks  that  after  a  time  he  will  scarcely  be  aware  of 
a  blow  which  would  have  sorely  hurt  him  when  he 
began  to  learn.  And,  of  course,  this  happy  result 
applies  not  only  to  sparring  itself:  the  toughened 
boxer  can,  in  any  relation  of  life,  endure  more  than 
one  who  has  never  been  taught  to  take  a  certain 
amount  of  knocking  about  for  granted. 

A  good  boxer  is  nimble  on  his  feet  and  does  not 
slouch  about  with  relaxed  muscles :  he  is  always 
mentally  alert,  because  in  boxing  thought  and  its 
consequent  action  must  be  well-nigh  simultaneous. 
It  trains  quickness  of  eye  to  an  extent  which  will  be 
found  uncommonly  valuable  in  other  sports  of  all 
descriptions.     It  unquestionably  develops  the  faculty 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  15 

of  decision ;  for  there  is  never  any  time  for  making 
up  your  mind  once  you  are  facing  an  opponent.  You 
have  to  decide  what  to  do  on  the  spur  of  many 
moments,  to  do  it  instantly. 

And — from  the  temperamental  point  of  view — 
boxing  certainly  teaches  self-control.  It  is  nonsense, 
of  course,  to  say  that  an  angry  man  cannot  fight  well. 
He  can,  and  often  does.  But  the  anger  must  be 
kept  in  hand.  Once  a  man  loses  his  temper  and  his 
head,  it  is  generally  all  up  with  him.  He  becomes 
wild  and  reckless,  and  an  antagonist  who  has  kept  his 
wits  about  him  can  do  what  he  chooses.  For  certain 
dispositions  a  hard  blow  on  the  nose  is  very  trying. 
A  run  of  bad  luck,  a  sharp  rally  during  which  you 
have  been  unable  to  land  a  single  hit,  is,  if  you  are 
inexperienced,  a  severe  test.  But,  unlike  all  other 
points  in  boxing,  it  is  only  a  question  of  time.  If  you 
endure  the  first  test,  the  next  will  be  less  severe  : 
until  you  can  take  the  worst  possible  hiding  with  a 
grin. 

These  are  true  and  noble  excuses  for  boxing,  but 
the  best  excuse  of  all  (where  none  is  needed)  remains  ; 
namely,  that  it  is  such  a  grand  sport.  It  is  exciting 
and  sometimes  sensational,  and  it  has  a  whole  wealth 
of  tradition  to  make  it  romantic.  There  is  a  man  to 
beat  and  you  have  only  yourself  to  rely  on,  and  there 
are  only  three  rounds, — if  this  is  a  competition — or 
if  in  an  ordinary  spar  you  keep  to  the  amateur  rules. 
A  short  time,  you  will  say,  in  which  to  test  your 
prowess. 

But  wait.  Those  three  rounds  are  packed  with 
incident,  or  should  be.     It  is  a  desperate  battle  while 


1 6  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

it  lasts.  And  if  you  are  fairly  matched — howsoever 
fine  your  condition — the  minutes  will  be  hours.  You 
have  to  try  and  hit  your  antagonist  so  that  he  cannot 
hit  you  ;  but  you  will  fail  over  and  over  again.  Most 
likely  you  will  get  at  least  as  good  as  you  give. 
You  will  be  driven  round  the  ring  by  a  hurricane  of 
blows,  straight  lefts  and  rights  and  hook-hits  and 
swings  and  paralyzing  half-arm  blows  which  pen  you 
in  a  corner.  You  may  be  knocked  down  from  a  blow 
on  the  jaw,  and  rise  shaking  and  feeble  to  your  feet 
again  :  reeling  forward  in  a  supreme  effort  of  retalia- 
tion. You  are  for  the  moment  utterly  worn.  To  be 
knocked  out,  so  that  the  fight  be  over,  would  seem  to 
be  the  most  desirable  occurrence  you  can  imagine. 

It  is  this  moment  in  a  fight  that  really  finds  you 
out.  It  is  a  great  effort  to  keep  struggling  on,  to 
stand  up  ;  not  only  defending  your  battered  self,  but 
defending  it  more  certainly  by  making  your  adversary 
believe  there  is  a  reserve  of  strength  in  you  yet  to  be 
overcome.  And  maybe  you  cannot  land  a  blow :  and 
your  man's  gloves  are  ever  about  you  still,  beating 
the  wind  from  you,  bruising  your  face.  And  yet  you 
must  go  on  so  long  as  your  legs  will  carry  you.  "It 
is  spirit  which  keeps  the  boxer  on  his  legs,"  writes 
Pierce  Egan,  and  spirit  you  must  have.  But  at  last 
your  opportunity  comes.  It  always  does  if  you  are 
brisk  enough  to  see  it.  Your  man  grows  careless  or 
tired,  and  you  land  a  light  straight  left.  And  that 
gives  you  courage  for  another,  and  the  next  is  hard. 
And  then  he  gives  a  pace  and  you  are  after  him,  sore 
spent,  but  eager  to  recover  lost  ground.  And  you 
try  two  hits  quickly  succeeding,  and  they  drive  back 


— T-! ^ 

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ROMAN   CASTUS 
(FROM    HIERONYMUS   MERCURIALIS) 


-^ 


DRAWING   ON   A   MODERN   P50XING   GLOVE 


(see  page  so) 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  17 

your  adversary  just  as  his  drove  you  but  a  moment 
or  two  before. 

And  then  by  chance  you  land  the  perfect  blow  : 
that  which  coming  straight  from  your  shoulder  with 
all  your  weight  behind  it  takes  him  upon  the  head  and 
sends  it  back.  And  you  have  a  delightful  sensation 
at  the  moment  of  impact.  It  is  only  comparable  to 
the  "  give  "  of  a  good  cricket  bat  as  you  drive  the  ball 
from  precisely  the  right  place  in  the  wood. 

The  amateur  who  has  little  time  at  his  disposal 
will  find  boxing  one  of  the  most  convenient  forms  of 
sport  possible.  It  is,  so  to  say,  very  portable.  You 
can  box  almost  anywhere,  and  a  room  cleared  of  furni- 
ture or  a  small  patch  of  grass  is  within  the  reach  of 
most  people.  The  latter  is  infinitely  preferable  for 
those  who  are  forced  by  their  daily  occupation  to 
spend  much  time  indoors. 

One  of  the  objections  most  frequently  raised  against 
the  pastime  is  that  it  can  only  be  practised  in  a  room. 
This  is  quite  wrong.  Of  course,  if  you  want  to  go  in 
for  competitions,  you  must  learn  to  box  on  a  boarded 
floor.  But  a  vast  number  of  men  like  to  box  just  for 
the  sake  of  exercise,  and  never  mean  to  enter  for  any 
regular  match.  For  them,  the  grass  and  the  fresh  air 
are  perfectly  suited.  Of  course,  also,  the  two  can  be 
combined,  by  means  of  a  square  stage  raised  six  inches 
or  more  from  the  ground  with  posts  and  ropes.  But  it 
is  a  somewhat  ungainly  fixture  for  anyone  who  is  proud 
of  his  garden  and  has  no  secluded  corner  for  thepurpose: 
and  a  much  too  considerable  time  would  be  taken  up 
by  fixing  the  ring  and  stage  for  each  encounter. 

For  the  busy  man,  then,  boxing  is  an  ideal  pur- 


1 8  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

suit,  because  ten  minutes  of  hard  sparring  will,  in 
point  of  exercise,  be  equivalent  to  an  hour  or  so  of 
most  out  of  door  games.  You  cannot  box  properly 
unless  you  are  in  good  condition ;  and  if  you  box 
regularly,  you  will  keep  in  good  condition.  It  is 
better  to  practise  in  the  evening,  as  one  of  the  dis- 
advantages of  the  sport  is  the  fact  that  it  tends  to 
make  you  sleepy.  The  constant  buffeting  in  the  face 
with  the  heavily  padded  gloves  is  most  wearing,  and 
has  often  ensured  for  an  ordinarily  bad  sleeper  a  good 
night's  rest.  So  what  would  give  a  bad  beginning  to 
a  day  may  be  highly  beneficial  at  its  close. 

The  noble  art  has  done  an  immense  amount  of 
good,  both  for  weak  people  and  for  indecisive  people  ;  it 
is  not,  however,  to  be  claimed  as  a  cure  for  all  ills. 
That  seems  to  have  been  the  idea  of  one  of  George 

Borrow's  friends.     '' wishes  me  to  give  his  son 

lessons  in  boxing,"  says  a  character  in  Tke  Romany  Rye^ 
**  which  he  considers  a  fine,  manly,  English  art,  and 
a  great  defence  against  Popery." 

Of  course,  boxing  is  essentially  a  young  man's 
sport :  and  in  a  match  between  two  men  very  unequal 
in  age,  the  old  adage  **  Youth  will  be  served "  is 
usually  justified.  The  experience  of  a  veteran  who 
has  grown  stiff,  and  whose  wind  is  not  what  it  once 
was,  is  unlikely  to  avail  ultimately  against  the  lusti- 
hood,  agility,  and  spring  of  a  youngster — even  one  who 
has  yet  to  learn  much  of  the  ring-craft  that  his  an- 
tagonist has  forgotten. 

Youth  should  be  a  succession  of  joyous  moments 
when  the  desire  to  shout  and  run  and  do  something 
which   requires   prodigious   muscular   effort   is   para- 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  19 

mount  and  necessary  in  order  to  work  off  high  animal 
spirits.  These  moments  come  without  any  particular 
reason,  willy-nilly,  and  the  brimming  vitality  must 
have  its  outlet.  A  hard  encounter  is  then  the  very 
height  of  physical  pleasure.  Your  entire  body  is  set 
vigorously  to  work.  A  smashing  blow  received 
brushes  away  the  cobwebs  of  the  mind,  and  there  are 
few  athletic  triumphs  to  compare  with  a  fine  hit  given. 

It  is  this  spirit  of  joyous  irresponsibility  that  makes 
amateur  boxing  so  well  worth  watching ;  less  perhaps 
from  a  purely  scientific  point  of  view,  than  from  one 
that  is  perhaps  rather  primitively  sporting,  and  which 
might  be  called  the  romantic  aspect.  Hardihood  and 
pluck — guts,  to  use  a  word  that  has  come  to  be  ex- 
pressive— are  more  conspicuous  in  the  amateur  than 
sheer  science. 

The  genuine  amateur  cannot,  as  a  rule,  find  time 
to  be  superlatively  clever,  as  that  entails  a  prodigious 
amount  of  practice,  and  there  are  so  many  other  things 
to  do.  I  say  ''genuine  amateur,"  because  there  are 
many  technical  amateurs  professionally  minded,  who 
start  their  boxing  career  without  hope  of  immediate 
payment  in  order  to  test  their  powers  :  and  a  few  who 
regard  the  sport  in  that  indefinable  manner  which 
suggests  the  professional,  and,  on  the  whole,  suggests 
him  unjustly.  These  are  men  who  use  the  crafty 
tricks  just  within  the  letter  of  the  rule,  to  whom  win- 
ning is  everything,  and  boxing  a  mere  means  of 
winning  something. 

The  amateur,  then,  whilst  not  for  a  moment  de- 
spising science,  cannot  devote  his  whole  attention  to 
boxing,   and   therefore  lacks   the  finesse    and   those 


20  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

ultimate  refinements  which  make  perfection.  From  a 
spectacular  standpoint  he  gives  a  very  fine  show.  He 
is  nimble  enough  and  has  sufficient  knowledge  of  the 
science  to  make  his  movements  neat,  his  hitting  clean. 
For  nothing  is  more  tedious  to  watch  than  two  com- 
plete novices  hugging  and  embracing  each  other,  and 
chopping  at  each  other's  heads,  using  their  fists  as  axes. 
Two  windmills  in  conflict  would  give  better  sport. 

No.  The  average  amateur  boxes  with  average 
science  and  a  sheer  delight  in  fighting  for  its  own  sake. 
Watching  such  an  encounter,  you  see  that  it  is  a  test 
of  manhood  rather  than  of  ingenuity ;  of  endurance 
rather  than  of  system.  And  the  mere  fact  that  two 
men  are  fighting  because  they  like  fighting,  and  not 
because  of  what  they  may  get  from  fighting,  adds 
hugely  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  scene.  The  very 
lack  of  absolute  science  often  makes  the  encounter 
more  sensational,  more  exciting  to  watch — provided 
that  lack  is  not  too  emphasized.  Even  the  expert 
cannot  resist  a  thrill,  and  be  he  ever  so  blast  he  will 
admit  that  it  is  a  fine  sight ;  at  the  least  that  it  is  a 
pleasant  change. 

It  may  be  very  wrong  to  want  sensationalism,  but 
it  is  very  human,  and  humanity  in  this  respect  will 
generally  triumph  over  an  emotion  that  is  entirely 
artificial.  A  cricketer  lifts  the  ball  out  of  the  ground, 
and  another  plays  it  with  perfection  of  technical  skill 
back  to  the  bowler.  Ask  the  onlooker  which  he  pre- 
fers to  see.  The  human  being  without  any  knowledge 
of  cricket  will  choose  the  former ;  the  human  being  in 
every  learned  expert,  will,  like  as  not,  struggle  to  be 
free. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  21 

But  the  unfortunate  thing  is  that  some  men  insist 
on  translating  humanity  as  brutality. 

*'  What  I  likes  to  see  is  two  blokes,  same  weight 
and  size  and  one  a  bit  better'n  t'other,  avin'  a  good 
scrap  for  ten  or  fifteen  round,  say — with  nothink  much 
in  it  either  way  :  and  then  for  one  of  em  to  get  tired 
and  t'other  bloke  to  walk  into  'im  and  smash  'im  up 
for  a  round  or  two  ;  and  then  bring  'is  right  acrorst  and 
stretch  'im  so's  he  'as  to  be  carried  out." 

This,  or  words  very  much  to  this  effect,  was  the 
opinion  expressed  to  the  writer  on  one  occasion  by  a 
London  cabman  :  a  member  of  a  profession  keenly 
addicted  to  boxing.  The  old  man  in  question  had 
been  an  ardent  bruiser  in  his  day,  and  a  connoisseur 
of  the  sport  from  the  ring-side.  So  his  was  no  mere 
arm-chair  declamation  :  he  was  talking  of  what  he 
himself  had  dared  to  do  and  risk.  He  was  quite 
human. 

I  suppose  that  what  he  ought  to  have  said  (in  this 
enlightened  age)  would  have  been  : — 

**  I  likes  to  see  a  nice  pair  of  lads  evenly  matched, 
go  the  full  twenty  rounds,  showing  reel  cleverness  and 
brain  work  and  not  'itting  too  hard ;  'im  as  wins,  to 
do  it  narrow — on  points  :  and  then  for  'em.  to  shake 
'ands  with  a  nice  smile,  and  to  leave  the  ring  with 
their  arms  round  each  other's  necks,  and  without  a 
mark  to  show." 

And  certainly  an  exhibition  of  that  sort,  exag- 
gerated in  its  gentleness,  can  be  seen  almost  any  week 
from  October  to  April  in  most  large  towns  in  this 
country. 

Light  hitting  coupled  with  an  intensely  developed 


22  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

knowledge  of  science  forms  a  pleasant  enough  show 
sometimes.  So  does  the  turn  upon  the  music-hall 
stage  of  a  dexterous  swinger  of  Indian  clubs,  or 
Cinquevalli's  astounding  sense  of  balance.  But  it 
does  not  thrill.  You  admire  it  with  your  brain,  but 
not  with  your  heart.  And  in  the  process  of  ultra- 
refinement  a  sport  is  apt  to  become  emasculated,  to 
lose  its  efficacy  for  the  purpose  from  which  it  is 
sprung. 

This  cultivation  is  a  two-edged  sword.  The 
sport  without  a  significant  origin,  which  is  and  always 
has  been  purely  a  game,  tends  by  the  elaboration  of 
its  science  to  become  a  business  ;  golf,  for  example. 
And  the  valuable  athletic  pursuit  which  in  a  modified 
form  makes  a  fine  amusement  becomes  a  meaningless 
show. 

But  the  people  who  would  kill  boxing  because  of 
its  so-called  brutality  go  further  than  this.  It  is  not 
enough  for  them  that  boxing,  with  nice,  warm,  padded 
gloves,  should  be  gentle  and  affectionate ;  it  must 
cease  to  exist.  It  is  wicked.  It  is  unchristian.  In 
fact,  there  is  a  risk  of  being  hurt  in  boxing.  Men 
have  been  known  to  have  suffered  the  irreparable 
damage  of  a  broken  nose.  There  has  been,  and  is, 
rascality  connected  with  the  sport,  ruffianism  of  the 
blackest  dye. 

Boxing  has  a  peculiar  effect  on  a  certain  type  of 
mind.  It  is  a  mind  that  may  have,  but  generally  has 
not,  some  theoretical  knowledge  to  back  its  arguments, 
within  a  body  which  has  never  practised  it.  Put 
flippantly,  but  quite  equitably,  the  inside  of  the  head 
rejects  what  its  outside  cannot  endure. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  23 

No  doubt  the  reason  why  boxing  especially  en- 
genders this  antipathy  is  that  it  throws  up  personal 
combativeness  into  relief.  Boxing  is  so  obviously 
meant  to  hurt.  Football  never  excites  such  a  storm 
of  hate  :  and  far  more  serious  injuries  have  been  caused 
in  football  than  in  boxing — even  relatively  more  ;  for 
of  course  there  are  many  more  footballers  than  there 
are  boxers.  And  there  is  just  as  much  rascality  con- 
nected with  football  as  with  boxing,  comparatively  as 
many  ruffians  who  kick  a  ball  as  those  who  punch  one. 
Even  the  smallest  injury  is  not  an  integral  part  of 
the  game,  and  to  win  a  boxing  match,  you  must,  as  a 
rule,  hurt  your  man.  As  for  ruffianism,  there  is  no 
sport  safe  from  it,  no  sport  that  can  be  ultimately 
ruined  by  it. 

And  what  if  boxing  is  brutal  ?  "I  belong  to 
the  National  Sporting  Club,  because  there's  a  beast 
in  every  man,  thank  God,"  says  a  character  in  one 
of  Mr.  Thurston's  novels.  The  fellow  was  doing 
himself  an  injustice.  There  is  manhood  in  every 
man  (or  most  men),  a  spark  of  the  primaeval  savage, 
without  which  mankind  could  not  exist.  If  it  is 
brutish  for  two  men  to  beat  each  other  with  their 
fists, — for  them  to  slander  each  other  with  their 
tongues  is  devilish.  And,  as  has  been  sufficiently 
demonstrated,  boxing  is  not  only  comparatively  fine  ; 
it  is  definitely  admirable  for  what  it  teaches,  what 
it  makes  possible. 

Of  course  it  happens  now  and  again  that  a  white 
man  and  a  black  man  are  matched,  and  there  is  an 
outcry  against  the  ** brutal  exhibition."  But  that  is 
a  peculiar  instance,  and  boxing  has  little  to  do  with 


24  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

the  trouble.  The  feeling  of  a  section  of  the  public 
runs  very  high  ;  not  in  the  excitement  of  sport,  but 
in  the  fever  of  racial  antagonism.  It  is  infinitely 
preferable  that  white  and  black  men  should  not  be 
pitted  against  one  another.  Apart  from  this  racial 
feeling,  it  is  unsuitable.  Negroes  are  not  physically 
built  like  us.  But  all  the  same,  faddists  use  such  an 
opportunity  for  decrying  boxing  itself,  and  not  boxing 
in  special  circumstances.  And  in  any  case  the  man  who 
hits  his  brother  in  anger  is  better  than  the  man  who 
preaches  a  sickly  brotherhood  of  antipathetic  races. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  the  noble  art 
makes  an  appeal  to  a  type  of  mind  utterly  foreign 
to  that  of  the  usual  sporting  man.  M.  Maurice 
Maeterlinck,  for  example,  is  a  great  boxing  enthusiast : 
the  philosopher  who  wrote  so  tenderly  of  his  little 
bull  dog  is  able  to  comprehend  the  merits  of  this 
violent  pursuit,  to  appraise  the  cold  deliberation  of 
a  knock  out  blow. 

**  Look  at  two  draymen,"  he  writes,^  **  two 
peasants  who  come  to  blows :  nothing  could  be 
more  pitiable.  After  a  copious  and  dilatory  broad- 
side of  insults  and  threats,  they  seize  each  other  by 
the  throat  and  hair,  make  play  with  their  feet,  with 
their  knees,  at  random,  bite  each  other,  scratch  each 
other,  get  entangled  in  their  motionless  rage,  dare 
not  leave  go,  and  if  one  of  them  succeeds  in  releasing 
an  arm,  he  strikes  out  blindly  and  most  often  into 
space  a  series  of  hurried,  stunted  and  sputtering 
little  blows.  .  .  .  On  the  other  hand,  watch  two 
pugilists  :  no  useless  words,  no  gropings,  no  anger ; 
*  "  In  Praise  of  the  Fist,"  from  Life  and  Flowers. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  25 

the  calmness  of  two  certainties  that  know  what  lies 
before  them.  The  athletic  attitude  of  the  guard, 
one  of  the  finest  of  which  the  male  body  is  capable, 
logically  exhibits  all  the  muscles  of  the  organism 
to  the  best  advantage.  Every  one  of  them  has  its 
pole  in  one  or  other  of  the  two  massive  fists  charged 
to  the  full  with  energy.  And  the  noble  simplicity 
of  the  attack !  Three  blows,  no  more,  and  the 
fruits  of  secular  experience,  mathematically  exhaust 
the  thousand  useless  possibilities  hazarded  by  the 
uninitiated.  Three  synthetic,  irresistible,  unimprov- 
able blows.  As  soon  as  one  of  them  frankly  touches 
the  adversary,  the  fight  is  ended,  to  the  complete 
satisfaction  of  the  conqueror,  who  triumphs  so 
incontestably  and  with  no  dangerous  hurt  to  the 
conquered,  who  is  simply  reduced  to  impotence  and 
unconsciousness  during  the  time  needed  for  all  ill-will 
to  evaporate.  Soon  after,  the  beaten  man  will  rise  to 
his^feet  with  no  lasting  damage,  because  the  resistance 
of  his  bones  and  his  organs  is  strictly  and  naturally 
proportioned  to  the  power  of  the  human  weapon  that 
has  struck  him  and  brought  him  to  the  ground." 

Although  boxing  will  always  find  supporters,,  it 
will  always  have  its  revilers  too.  And  it  is  a  mistake 
to  ignore  them,  for  they  are  many ;  and  there  is 
danger  in  numbers.  In  i860,  when  the  cult  of  rather 
hypocritical  refinement  was  at  its  worst,  there  was  a 
precious  outcry  against  the  fight  between  Sayers  and 
Heenan.     A  reference  to  Punch  will  show  that. 

"Ah  me,  that  I  have  hved  to  hear 
Such  men  as  ruffians  scorned, 
Such  deeds  of  valour  brutal  called, 
Canted,  preached  down,  and  mourned  ! " 


26  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

The  writer  is  supposed  to  be  recounting  the 
famous  mill  for  the  benefit  of  his  great-grand- 
children in  1920.     He  continues  a  little  further  on — 

"...  canting  rogues,  their  mud  to  fling 
On  self-defence  and  on  the  Ring, 
And  fistic  arts  abuse ! 
And  'twas  such  varmint  had  the  power 

The  Champion's  fight  to  stay 
And  leave  unsettled  to  this  hour 

The  honours  of  the  day  1 " 

For  owing  to  police  interference,  the  battle  was 
stopped,  and  so  ended  in  a  draw.  And  Sayers, 
despite  his  fractured  arm,  was  winning ;  but  the 
ring  was  broken — 

"Just  when  ten  minutes  used  aright 
Had  made  the  fight  his  own." 

That,  however,  was  bare-knuckle  milling — a 
bloodier  affair ;  which  gave  more  excuse  to  the 
sensitive. 

But  since  then,  the  school  of  sentimentalists  has 
increased  by  leaps  and  bounds.  '*  Gladiatorial  dis- 
plays," "brutalising  effects"  have  become  catchwords. 
If  the  onlooker  is  brutalised  by  the  spectacle  of  two 
men  standing  up  to  each  other  and  being  brave, 
then  he  is  brutalised  and  that's  all  about  it.  If  he 
watches  two  men  fighting  in  a  ruffianly  manner, 
or  one  cruelly  taking  advantage  of  his  antagonist, 
he  is  either  disgusted  or  remains  the  brute  he 
always  was.     The  sight  cannot  make  him  one. 

It  is,  however,  remarkable  that  boxing  should 
find  so  little  encourapfement  at  the  hands  of  our 
educational  authorities.     True  we   are  a  softer  race 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  27 

than  we  used  to  be :  witness  the  outcry  against 
the  gallows  for  cold-blooded  assassins;  the  ''cat" 
as  a  punishment  for  the  worst  kind  of  criminal ; 
and,  in  the  elementary  schools,  the  wholesome 
whipping  for  naughty  little  boys.  We  are  flogged 
soundly  enough  at  our  public  schools,  thank 
Heaven ;  but  we  seldom  settle  our  differences  in 
the  fine  old  way.  It  is  the  rarest  occurrence  for 
two  boys  to  fight  in  an  ordered  and  proper  manner, 
with  seconds  and  someone  to  see  fair  play,  at  an 
appointed  time  and  in  a  special  place.  That  is 
far  too  cold-blooded.  A  little  skirmishing  in  a 
passage  is  commonly  the  fiercest  discord. 

Nevertheless  it  is  difficult  to  understand  the 
attitude  of  schoolmasters.  Boxers  respect  each 
other,  and  in  a  school  where  boxing  is  compulsory, 
where  disputes  can  be  regulated  with  the  gloves, 
by  the  consent  of  the  master,  a  most  salutary 
influence  is  felt.  But  these  schools  are  unfortunately 
few  and  far  between.  I  suppose  it  is  partly  that 
any  individual  athletic  feat  must  suffer  for  those 
that  are  collective — or  corporate,  as  the  schoolmasters 
themselves  would  say.  In  boxing,  whatever  happens, 
a  boy  wins  on  his  own  merits :  neither  does  he 
help  others,  nor  is  helped  by  them.  Thus  far  it 
is  a  selfish  sport.  But  it  is  a  fine  thing  to  fight 
for  the  honour  of  your  school  at  Aldershot,  and  it 
is  a  pity  that  more  boys  are  not  allowed  to  do  so. 

Take  the  opinion  of  the  majority  of  the  school- 
masters in  question,  and  you  will  find  what  it  is  they 
really  object  to  ;  especially  why  it  is  that  they  dislike 
entering  their  boys   for   open  competitions  with  the 


28  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

other  schools — a  mysterious  something  which  they 
call  the  knock-out  blow.  To  people  unacquainted 
with  boxing,  it  is  always  singular — the  knock-out 
blow.  So  it  may  as  well  be  explained  here  shortly — 
the  subject  will  be  more  fully  dealt  with  in  a  later 
chapter — that  there  are  many  knock-out  blows. 
Any  blow  which  stops  the  combatant  from  continuing 
to  box  may  be  so  called.  But  of  course  the  most 
frequent  is  that  which  takes  you  on  the  side  of  the 
jaw,  and  this  it  is  which  is  generally  called  the 
knock-out  blow. 

Put  simply,  this  hit — if  sufficiently  hard — causes 
instant  and  very  slight  concussion  of  the  brain.  In 
a  mild  form,  the  boxer  who  receives  it  is  slightly 
dazed,  sees  a  thick  mist  before  his  eyes  and  goes 
weak  in  the  knees.  The  effects  pass  off  in  a  few 
moments.  A  more  severe  hit  of  the  kind  causes 
him  to  fall,  but  he  may  rise.  A  little  more  power 
behind  the  striking  arm- — particularly  when  the  glove 
lands  on  precisely  the  right  spot,  and  the  man  is 
knocked  down  and  unable  to  rise  for  a  considerable 
time. 

In  professional  boxing  ten  seconds  are  allowed, 
and  if  the  boxer  cannot  get  up  in  that  period,  he  is 
reckoned  to  have  been  knocked  out  and  accordingly 
loses  the  fight.  It  occasionally  happens  when  a  man 
has  been  brought  down  by  a  particularly  hard  blow, 
that  it  is  some  minutes  before  he  comes  to.  Usually 
he  revives  as  soon  as  his  seconds  have  picked  him 
up  and  poured  cold  water  on  his  head. 

But  the  point  is  that  the  blow  does  not  cause 
serious   injury,    and    I    am   unable   to   discover   any 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BOXING  29 

case  where  it  has  caused  a  boxer's  death.  There 
have  been  innumerable  occasions  when  one  of  the 
combatants  has  been  knocked  down  by  blows  on  the 
jaw  again  and  again — as  many  as  half  a  dozen  times 
— in  a  single  round,  and  yet  have  knocked  out  their 
opponents  before  that  round  closed.  In  these  in- 
stances the  blow  has  been  either  not  a  hard  one  or 
not  rightly  placed.  The  result  of  such  punishment 
is  seldom  more  than  a  bad  headache,  a  very  stiff 
jaw,  and  a  disinclination  to  eat  solid  food  on  the 
following  day. 

Deaths  have  occurred  in  boxing,  just  as  they 
have  in  steeple-chasing  and  other  sports ;  but  they 
are  very  rare.  In  an  enormous  preponderance  of 
competitions  and  professional  matches,  the  worst  to 
be  expected  is  the  breaking  of  a  nose,  or  the  loss 
of  a  tooth  or  two.  For  the  rest,  an  occasional  black 
eye,  which  may  last  for  some  days  ;  or  a  "  thick  ear  " 
which  is  very  common  among  boxers,  and  which  (it 
is  to  be  feared)  they  will  carry  to  their  graves,  are 
the  most  usual  disfigurements  and  penalties  that  have 
to  be  faced. 


CHAPTER   III 
BARE    KNUCKLES 

"...  Squabbles  have,  since  the  fall  of  the  Ring,  been  settled 
more  commonly  in  a  brutal  and  cowardly  way  than  when  the  ideal 
of  Gully  and  Bendigo  was  before  the  eyes  of  the  quarrelsome  man." — 
E.  B.  MiCHELL  in  Boxing— {Badminton  Library). 

THE  principles  of  old  time  knuckle-fighting 
were  more  akin,  more  adapted  to  the  purposes 
of  self-defence  than  modern  boxing.  A  man 
who  is  trained  to  fight  with  his  fists  for  sport  is  more 
likely  to  be  able  to  use  them  with  effect  in  a  street 
fight,  more  likely  to  endure  blows  from  them.  Then 
wrestling  was  allowed  as  well :  and  if  you  are  faced 
by  a  man  who  is  ready  to  do  anything  to  disable  you, 
you  must  be  prepared  to  do  next  to  everything  to 
disable  him ;  and  a  knowledge  of  wrestling,  though 
not  recommended  for  self-defence  in  a  street  fight, 
may  nevertheless  prove  uncommonly  useful. 

The  ring  for  all  the  big  and  important  fights 
was  pitched  in  the  open  air,  and  judging  by  some 
old  prints  it  was  occasionally  much  larger  than  the 
twenty-four  foot  square  that  eventually  became  the 
regulation  size.  The  encounter  was  generally  decided 
upongrass,  though  sometimes  a  boarded  stage  was  used, 
as  in  the  famous  fight  between  Cribb  and  Molyneaux, 
and  that  between   Humphries  and  Mendoza.     The 


A    RIGHT    HAND    BODY-BLOW.       IN    THIS    CASE    EXTRA    FORCE    IS    GIVEN 
OWING  TO  THE  RECIPIENT  COMING  FORWARD  WITH  A  STRAIGHT  RIGHT 

( set-  page^ds) 


BARE  KNUCKLES  31 

seconds  -  remained  in  their  respective  corners  within 
the  ring,  and  there  was  generally  an  outer  line  of 
ropes  beyond  which  the  public  was  not  allowed  to 
trespass.  The  space  in  between  was  reserved  for 
the  officials  and  backers.  Whippers  out  with  long 
lashes  beat  back  any  of.  the  spectators  whose  exuber- 
ance caused  them  to  break  bounds. 

The  principals,  as  you  may  see  from  any  old 
print,  were  stripped  to  the  waist,  just  as  they  are 
in  all  professional  contests  to-day,  and  wore  tight 
breeches  and  stockings.  A  round  ended  with  a  man 
going  down  either  from  a  blow  or  a  throw ;  and 
might  thus  last  almost  any  length  of  time,  from  half 
a  minute  to  half  an  hour.  Fights  were  to  a  finish — 
until  one  man  gave  in  or  was  unable  to  come  up  to  the 
scratch  at  the  end  of  the  half-minute  rest.  At  one 
period  seconds  were  allowed  to  carry  their  men  to 
the  scratch,  so  that  utterly  exhausted  as  they  some- 
times were,  they  might  stand  and  push  each  other 
down.  And  sometimes  his  backers  withdrew  a 
man. 

Owing  to  this  half-minute  for  recovery  on  every 
occasion  of  a  knock  down,  it  required  a  terrific  blow 
indeed  to  end  a  battle  outright.  More  usually  a 
man  was  first  worn  out  by  continuous  falls,  or  blinded 
by  the  swelling  of  his  eyes,  and  then  given  what  would 
almost  amount  to  a  free  blow  before  he  was  beaten. 
Some  of  these  old  prize-fights  went  on  for  three  and 
four  hours,  a  thing  which  would  be  practically  impos- 
sible with  gloves  even  under  the  same  rules.  The 
fact  is  that  a  fairly  heavy  glove  does  far  more  than 
protect  the  face  of  the  man  who  is  hit  by  it  and  the 


32  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

knuckles  of  him  who  hits  ;  the  constant  buffeting 
has  a  soporific  and  dazing  effect  which  bare  fists 
never  have.  A  hard  blow  from  a  man's  knuckles 
hurts  a  good  deal  more ;  but  it  is  a  quick,  livening 
pain.  It  does  not,  so  to  say,  send  you  to  sleep  but 
stings  you  on  to  greater  efforts.  Some  men  beat 
themselves  by  driving  up  their  knuckles  on  their 
opponent's  heads.  Jem  Belcher  did  this  in  his  first 
fight  with  Cribb. 

There  is  no  gainsaying  at  all  that  a  prize-fight 
must  have  been  a  gory  and  a  horrible  sight  to 
sensitive  folk.  So  is  a  battle.  And  the  prize-ring 
fitted  men  to  fight  in  battles.  Joseph  Haydn 
describes  prize  fighting  as — ''a  favourite  sport  with 
the  British,  who  possess  strong  arms,  giving  them 
superiority  in  battles  decided  with  the  bayonet." 

Waterloo  was  won  on  Moulsey  Hurst  as  well  as 
on  the  playing  fields  of  Eton. 

To  take  one  example  literally  —  Shaw,  the 
Nottinghamshire  fighter,  was  found  surrounded  by 
the  ten  Frenchmen  he  had  slain.  Three  of  them, 
it  is  said,  fell  before  one  sweeping  sabre  cut. 

That  the  ring  was  not  without  its  detractors 
even  in  those  early  days  is  evidenced  by  the  following 
passage  from  the  dedication  of  Boxiana,  vol.  iii. 
(1821),  to  the  Marquis  of  Worcester: — **  It  is  of 
the  very  last  importance  to  England  as  a  nation," 
writes  the  editor,  ''that  she  still  preserves  her  high 
character  for  True  Courage,  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
both  by  land  and  by  sea:  nay,  more,  that  not  one 
particle  of  this  real  greatness  should  ever  be  frittered 
away  from  squeamishness  of  Disposition  or  Effeminacy 


BARE  KNUCKLES  33 

of  habit."  But  then,  even  as  now,  the  mass  of  valuable 
opinion  was  on  the  side  of  anything  which  was  likely 
to  foster  manliness. 

Boxing  has  always  been  associated  with  fairs. 
To-day  even,  and  perhaps  to  a  greater  extent  ten  or 
fifteen  years  ago,  itinerant  pugilists  are  and  have 
been  the  delight  and  despair  of  country  youths. 
There  are  no  travelling  circuses  of  any  consideration 
to  which  a  boxing  booth  does  not  form  an  indispens- 
able adjunct.  Two  bruisers,  generally  of  the  second 
rank,  move  from  place  to  place,  giving  exhibitions 
first,  and  then  throwing  down  the  gloves  in  challenge 
to  any  aspiring  yokel,  who  fancies  himself  and  cares 
to  put  them  on. 

The  first  record  we  have  of  anything  of  that 
nature  is  in  a  handbill  distributed  at  fairs  in  1740  by 
Figg  :  that  is,  twenty-one  years  after  the  date  when 
that  worthy  was  written  down  as  the  first  champion 
of  England. 

This  handbill,  which  is  quoted  from  Boxiana,  runs 

as  follows  : — 

At 

FIG'S  Great  Til'd  Booth 

on  the  Bowling  Green,  Southwark, 

During  the  time  of  the  Fair, 

(which  begins  on  Saturday,  the  i8th  of  September), 

The  Town  will  be  entertained  with  the 

MANLY  ARTS  OF 

Foil-play,  Back-sword,  Cudgelling,  and  Boxing, 

in  which 

The  noted  Parks  from  Coventry,  and  the 

celebrated  gentleman  prize-fighter,  Mr.  MiLLAR, 

will  display  their  skill  in  a  tilting-bout. 
Showing  the  advantages  of  Time  and  Measure  : 
also 
Mr.  Johnson,  the  great  Swordsman,  superior  to  any  man  in  the 

3 


34  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

World  for  his  unrivalled  display  of  the  hanging-guard^  in  a  grand  attack 
of  Self-defence,  against  the  all-powerful  arm  of  the  renowned  Sutton. 

Delforce,   the   finished   Cudgeller,   will   likewise   exhibit  his  un- 
common feats  with  the  Single-stick ;  and  who  challenges  any  man  in 
the  kingdom  to  enter  the  lists  with  him  for  a  broken  head  or  a  belly-full ! 
BUCKHORSE,  and  several  other  Pugilists,  will  show  the  Art 
of  Boxing. 
To  conclude 
With  a  grand  parade  by  the  Valiant  FIG,  who 
will  exhibit  his  knowledge  in  various  combats — with  the  Foil, 
Back-Sword,  Cudgel,  and  Fist. 
To  begin  each  day  at  Twelve  o'clock,  and  close  at  Ten. 

Vivat  Rex. 
N.B. — The  Booth  is  fitted  up  in  a  most  commodious  manner,  for  the 
better  reception  of  Gentlemen,  etc.  etc. 

It  was  Jack  Broughton,  another  early  champion, 
whose  backer  was  the  then  Duke  of  Cumberland, 
who  first  started  a  regular  house  of  call  for  people 
interested  in  the  noble  art.  This  was  known  as  the 
Amphitheatre,  and  was  built  in  1742.  In  the 
following  year,  he  drew  up  and  published  the  first 
boxing  rules — *'  for  the  better  regulation  of  the 
Amphitheatre,  approved  of  by  the  Gentlemen,  and 
agreed  to  by  the  Pugilists." 

"  I.  That  a  square  of  a  yard  be  chalked  in  the  middle  of  the  stage  ; 
and  every  fresh  set-to  after  a  fall,  or  being  parted  from  the  rails,  each 
second  is  to  bring  his  man  to  the  side  of  the  square,  and  place  him 
opposite  to  the  other,  and  till  they  are  fairly  set-to  at  the  lines,  it  shall 
not  be  lawful  for  the  one  to  strike  the  other. 

"  2.  That,  in  order  to  prevent  any  disputes,  the  time  a  man  lies  after 
a  fall,  if  the  second  does  not  bring  his  man  to  the  side  of  the  square, 
within  the  space  of  half  a  minute,  he  shall  be  deemed  a  beaten  man. 

"  3.  That  in  every  main  battle,  no  person  whatever  shall  be  upon  the 
stage,  except  the  principals  and  their  seconds  ;  the  same  rule  to  be 
observed  in  by-battles  except  that  in  the  latter,  Mr.  Broughton  is  allowed 
to  be  upon  the  stage,  to  keep  decorum,  and  to  assist  gentlemen  to  their 
places  ;  provided  always  that  he  does  not  interfere  in  the  battle  ;  and 
whoever  presumes  to  infringe  these  rules,  to  be  turned  immediately  out 


BARE  KNUCKLES  35 

of  the  house.  Everybody  is  to  quit  the  stage  as  soon  as  the  champions 
are  stripped,  before  they  set  to. 

"  4.  That  no  champion  be  deemed  beaten,  unless  he  fails  coming  up 
to  the  line  in  the  limited  time  ;  or  that  his  own  second  declares  him 
beaten.  No  second  is  to  be  allowed  to  ask  his  man's  adversary  any 
questions,  or  to  advise  him  to  give  out. 

"  5.  That  in  by-battles,  the  winning  man  to  have  two-thirds  of  the 
money  giveri^  which  shall  be  publicly  divided  upon  the  stage,  notwith- 
standing any  private  agreement  to  the  contrary. 

"6.  That,  to  prevent  disputes  in  every  main  battle,  the  principals 
shall,  on  the  coming  on  the  stage,  chose  from  amongst  the  gentlemen 
present,  two  umpires,  who  shall  absolutely  decide  all  disputes  that  may 
arise  about  the  battle ;  and  if  the  two  umpires  cannot  agree,  the  said 
umpires  to  chose  a  third  who  is  to  determine  it. 

"  7.  That  no  person  is  to  hit  his  adversary  when  he  is  down,  or  seize 
him  by  the  ham,  the  breeches,  or  any  part  below  the  waist :  a  man  on 
his  knees  to  be  reckoned  down." 

Would  that  such  complete,  if  crude,  simplicity 
were  sufficient  for  the  governance  of  modern  boxing. 

And  yet  regarding  the  essence  of  prize-fighting 
there  is  a  thoroughly  modern  ring  :  so  there  is  in 
number  five  of  these  particular  rules.  The  same 
thing  is  often  said  of  Sheridan's  plays.  And  both 
instances  go  to  prove  the  immutability  of  human 
nature.  For  a  variety  of  insufficient  reasons  we  of 
to-day  expect  ourselves,  our  dispositions  and  our 
inclinations,  to  be  radically  different  to  those  of  our 
great-grandsires.  But  we  expect  too  much  of  Father 
Time.  The  public  division  of  prize  money  according 
to  a  certain  proportion  and  the  hinted  possibility  of 
a  private  arrangement  has  a  peculiarly  exact  counter- 
part in  the  pugilistic  dealings  of  this  century.  But 
modern  boxing  is  a  much  more  complicated  affair, 
and  calls  for  more  complicated  regulations. 

The  self-advertisement  of  a  boxer's  prowess,  also, 
was  carried  on  then  with  a  similar,  though  not  quite 


36  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

so  vulgar,  lack  of  diffidence  as  at  the  present  day. 
Two  bruisers — Patrick  Henley  and  John  Francis — 
have  a  quarrel.  They  have  fought  once  before,  to 
the  discomfiture  of  the  latter,  who  is  anxious  to  get 
his  own  back.  The  challenge  and  acceptance  found 
below  have  their  basic  idea  in  common  with^the  page- 
long  letters  and  denunciations  and  articles  of  self- 
approbation  with  which  modern  pugilists  supply  the 
sporting  papers. 

**  Whereas  I,  John  Francis,  commonly  known  by 
the  name  of  the  Jumping  Soldier,  who  have  always 
had  the  reputation  of  a  good  fellow,  and  have  fought 
several  bruisers  in  the  street,  etc.,  nor  am  I  ashamed 
to  mount  the  stage  when  my  manhood  is  called  in 
question  by  an  Irish  braggadocio,  whom  I  fought 
some  time  ago,  in  a  by-battle,  for  twelve  minutes, 
and  though  I  had  not  the  success  due  to  my  courage 
and  ability  in  the  art  of  boxing,  I  now  invite  him  to 
fight  me  for  two  guineas,  at  the  time  and  place 
above  mentioned,  where,  I  doubt  not,  I  shall  give 
him  the  truth  of  a  good  beating. 

''John  Francis." 

"  I,  Patrick  Henley,  known  to  everyone  for  the 
truth  of  a  good  fellow,  who  never  refused  anyone, 
on  or  off  the  stage,  and  fight  as  often  for  the  diversion 
of  gentlemen  as  money,  do  accept  the  challenge  of 
this  Jumping  Jack ;  and  shall,  if  he  don't  take  care, 
give  him  one  of  my  bothering  blows,  which  will  con- 
vince him  of  his  ignorance  in  the  art  of  boxing. 

**  Patrick  Henley." 


BARE  KNUCKLES  37 

Towards  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century 
several  schools  were  started  for  the  teaching  of 
boxing,  amongst  them  Dan  Mendoza's  lyceum  in  the 
Strand.  Then  came  the  palmy  days  of  Gentleman 
Jackson,  the  two  Belchers — Jem  and  Tom,  Pearce, 
Cribb,  and  Gully.  The  last  named  has  always  been 
held  up  to  posterity  as  an  example  of  what  a  good 
bruiser  should  be  and  could  become  :  for  John  Gully, 
champion  of  England,  was  subsequently  a  Member 
of  Parliament.  And,  by  the  way,  if  in  years  to  come 
our  children  are  able  to  look  back  upon  the  antithesis 
of  this  preferment,  they  ought  to  be  congratulated. 

In  1824,  there  were  two  battles  between  men 
whose  names  will  always  be  synonomous  for  pluck 
and  good  sportmanship — Tom  Spring  (Winter  was 
his  real  name)  and  Jack  Langan,  the  Irishman.  On 
both  occasions  the  former  won.  Better  fellows  and 
finer  men  never  graced  the  ring. 

Of  the  former  wrote  some  rhyming  punster — 

"For  budding  flower,  or  leafing  tree, 
I  now  don't  care  a  splinter; 
For  Spring  is  a  colder  thought  to  me, 
Than  the  bitterest  day  of  Winter." 

Then  there  were  Owen  Swift,  Jem  Ward, 
Bendigo,  and  Gaunt,  and  many  other  illustrious 
names  spanning  the  nineteenth  century  till  we  come 
to  old  Jem  Mace,  the  last  of  the  famous  bare-knuckle 
men,  who  answered  the  final  call  of  Time  within  the 
last  three  or  four  years. 

The  view  of  prize-fighting  taken  by  one  section 
of  polite  society  in  mid-Victorian  times  can  be  gleaned 


38  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

from  Thackeray.  "  I  can  see  old  gentlemen  now 
among  us,"  he  says,  *'of  perfect  good  breeding  .  .  . 
and  look  at  them  and  wonder  what  they  were  once. 
.  .  .  That  gentleman  of  the  grand  old  school  when 
he  was  in  the  loth  Hussars  and  dined  at  the  Prince's 
table,  would  fall  under  it  night  after  night.  .  .  .  That 
gentleman  would  drive  his  friend  Richmond,  the 
black  boxer,  down  to  Moulsey,  and  hold  his  coat,  and 
shout  and  swear  and  hurrah  with  delight,  whilst  the 
black  man  was  beating  Dutch  Sam,  the  Jew.  That 
gentleman  would  take  a  manly  pleasure  in  pulling 
his  own  coat  off  and  thrashing  a  bargeman  in  a 
street  row." 

But  it  was  a  long  time  before  the  portentous 
respectability  of  that  era  put  an  end  to  fighting. 
Many  a  good  mill  took  place  more  or  less  in  secret : 
there  were  many  exciting  evasions  of  the  police. 
One  magistrate  would  be  dour  and  relentless,  another 
would  wink.  As  told  in  the  previous  chapter,  the 
immortal  combat  in  i860  between  Sayers  and  Heenan, 
the  **  Benicia  Boy,"  was  interrupted.  Seven  years 
later  Jem  Mace  was  arrested,  and  in  the  year  follow- 
ing that  the  railways  were  prohibited  by  law  from 
conveying  people  to  prize-fights. 

The  length  to  which  some  of  the  most  famous 
fights  were  drawn  out  was  extraordinary.  The  terrible 
battle  between  Nat  Langham  and  Harry  Orme  lasted 
nearly  three  hours,  and  Langham  was  beaten — for  the 
only  time  in  his  life — in  the  hundred  and  seventeenth 
round.  That  was  in  1851.  Two  years  later  Langham 
took  more  than  two  hours  to  beat  Sayers,  the  only 
occasion  on  which  that  most  doughty  of  all  champions 


BARE  KNUCKLES  39 

was  ever  bested.  Backers  were  most  certainly  to 
blame  sometimes  for  allowing  their  men  to  continue 
fighting.  In  many  of  these  long,  hard-fought  battles 
the  principals  tottered  where  they  stood,  one  of  them 
summoning  just  enough  strength  to  shove  the  other 
down.  Langham  and  Orme,  in  the  fight  referred  to 
above,  were  both  so  weak  as  to  be  utterly  past  hitting. 
In  the  last  round  Langham  tried  to  push  his  man 
over,  not  seeing  that  he  was  out  of  reach.  He  toppled 
over  with  the  exertion,  and  being  unable  to  rise  again, 
lost  the  encounter. 

Johnson,  one  of  the  earlier,  and  Sayers,  about  the 
last,  champion  of  the  English  prize-ring,  were  com- 
paratively little  men.  Both  fought  and  thrashed 
giants.  Johnson  in  sixty-two  rounds  decisively 
knocked  out  Isaac  Perrins  who  stood  six  foot  two, 
and  weighed  three  stone  more  than  his  nimble  an- 
tagonist. Sayers  was  only  five  foot  eight,  and  he 
gave  fivG.  inches,  four  stone  and  the  soundest  possible 
trouncing  to  Perry,  the  Tipton  Slasher,  in  their  fight 
for  the  championship.  Sayers  owed  his  success  to 
his  wonderful  foot-work,  and  the  terrific  force  of  his 
hitting. 

There  was  a  side  to  prize-fighting  which  has  been 
insufficiently  ventilated.  It  brought  out  magnificent 
qualities  in  men  not  otherwise  admirable.  The  ring 
did  not  make  villains,  but  gave  ready-made  villains 
the  chance  of  being  something  better.  Of  course,  an 
opponent  of  the  ring  would  call  this  the  canonization 
of  rascals,  adding  that  popular  accord  made  heroes  of 
blackguards.  A  better  view  is  that  every  man  is  a 
good  fellow  in  some  way  ;  and  we  may  thus  look  on 


40  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

the  exploits  of  various  rascals  dispassionately.  If  it 
had  not  been  for  their  fights  there  would  have  been 
less  room  for  them  to  be  anything  but  rascals.  One 
fellow,  by  no  means  a  saint  in  private  life,  was  a 
genuinely  heroic  fighter  :  for  no  man  had  longer  or 
harder  battles,  and  he  never  enjoyed  good  health, 
suffering  continually  from  weak  lungs. 

It  is  only  fair  that  all  fighters — as  fighters — whether 
their  moral  characters  were  bad  or  eminently  re- 
spectable, should  share  what  esteem  posterity  may 
have  to  offer  them. 

A  modern  view  too  often  seeks  to  vindicate  the 
ring  by  presenting  a  list  of  all  the  notable  people  who 
encouraged  it.  Certainly,  without  their  support  prize- 
fighting could  never  have  flourished.  But  it  is  a 
mistake  to  defend  an  institution  by  proclaiming  the 
names  of  those  who  subscribe  to  it.  That  is  an 
appeal  to  the  gallery.  Because  it  is  excessively 
advertised  that  So  and  So  (very  well  known)  uses 
Such  and  Such  (a  patent  commercial  product),  there 
is  no  doubt  that  a  large  number  of  other  people  will 
use  it  too,  because  So  and  So  does.  The  patent  does 
not  stand  upon  its  own  merits.  At  this  date,  however, 
it  is  a  pity  that  the  prize-ring  should  be  placed  in  an 
analogous  category. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  interesting  to  note  (as  a  sign 
of  those  times)  that  Lord  Althorp,  leader  of  the 
Commons  at  the  time  of  the  Reform  Bill,  seriously 
considered  whether  it  was  not  a  duty  that  he  owed 
to  the  public  to  go  and  attend  every  prize-fight  which 
took  place,  and  thus  to  encourage  the  noble  science 
to  the  extent  of  his  power. 


BARE  KNUCKLES  41 

The  history  of  knuckle-fighting  forms  an  astonish- 
ing record  of  pluck.  Speaking  enthusiastically,  courage 
should  not  be  remarkable  ;  but  to  us  such  courage  as 
was  displayed  in  the  ring  undoubtedly  is.  Perhaps 
now  that  for  half  a  century  or  so  the  practice  has  been 
illegal,  the  deprivation  of  a  grand  ideal  and  of  oppor- 
tunities has  merely  veiled  our  powers  of  endurance. 
Perhaps  our  heedlessness  of  pain  is  latent  still.  But 
we  are  a  softer  and  more  comfortable  race.  Civiliza- 
tion has  its  way  with  us  :  and  the  primal  qualities  of 
a  man  are  not,  we  think,  so  needful  as  they  used  to 
be.  Hence  they  come  to  be  despised  and  neglected, 
and  neglect  brings  atrophy. 

It  is  whispered  that  bare-knuckle  fights  still  take 
place  in  the  early  hours  of  summer  Sunday  mornings 
on  Welsh  mountains,  and  one  of  the  most  redoubtable 
army  champions  of  recent  years  fought  more  than 
thirty  rounds  with  his  fists  when  he  was  a  pit-boy  of 
fifteen. 

And  there  was  another  instance.  .  .  . 

In  a  small  room  (not  in  London),  where  boxing 
often  goes  on,  and  where  a  little  throng  of  people 
might  reasonably  be  expected  to  gather  at  night,  a 
ring  is  pitched.  There  are  no  more  than  a  score  of 
men  round  it.  Blinds  are  drawn  before  the  windows 
— which  only  give  upon  a  yard — and  a  lamp  hangs 
high  on  each  of  the  walls.  Two  men,  well  matched 
welter-weights,  sit  in  their  corners,  talking  to  their 
seconds.  Handy  to  each  of  them  for  the  sake  of 
appearances  in  an  emergency,  a  pair  of  six-ounce 
gloves  hangs  from  the  ropes  by  its  laces.  They 
continue  to  hang  there. 


42  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

The  terms  on  which  the  men  are  to  box  are  as 
follows  : — Rounds  are  limited  to  four  minutes  each, 
with  a  minute's  rest  between  them  :  but  if  a  man 
falls  at  any  time  the  round  ends  then.  The  fight  is 
to  be  to  a  finish,  subject  to  the  interference  of  the 
referee  ;  and  no  wrestling  is  allowed.  It  is  a  mixture, 
in  fact,  of  old  time  prize-fighting  and  boxing.  Apart 
from  the  conditions  described,  the  modern  rules  prevail. 

Ready  ?  the  men  are  asked.     Time. 

Tom  and  Dick,  let  us  call  them.  Tom  has 
slightly  the  best  of  it  in  height  and  reach ;  Dick 
makes  up  for  that  in  bulk  :  but  both  are  sturdily- 
built  fellows.  They  are  well  trained,  and  accustomed 
to  hard  work  with  their  hands,  which  has  the  usual 
result — their  bodies  being  developed  at  the  expense 
of  their  legs.  They  are  lumpy  and  ungainly  to  look 
at,  and  would  have  shocked  the  susceptibilities  of  a 
Greek  sculptor.  They  shake  hands  and  begin  to 
manoeuvre  for  an  opening. 

This  wholly  reprehensible  affair  originated — as  it 
might  well  have  done  a  hundred  years  before — in  a 
bet.  Tom  had  decisively  beaten  Dick  after  ten  hard 
rounds  with  the  gloves.  Now  Dick  is  backed  to  beat 
Tom  without  them.  And  they  have  consented  to 
this  arrangement  after  a  little  tactful  persuasion. 

The  spectators  sit,  thrillingly  silent.  This  is  the 
sort  of  thing  that  they  have  longed  —  hopelessly 
longed,  they  always  thought — to  see.  The  time- 
keeper glances  now  and  again  at  his  watch.  By  his 
side  the  referee  (who,  it  is  said,  has  seen  a  like 
performance  on  another  occasion)  drums  his  fingers 
on  his  knees  and  stares. 


BARE  KNUCKLES  43 

There  is  a  shuffling  sound  as  the  boxers  move 
about  the  ring.  They  do  not  seem  very  enthusiastic 
at  present.  Then  Tom  leads  with  his  long  left. 
Dick  guards  it  and  they  come  together.  There  is  a 
spasmodic  effort  at  in-fighting,  and  they  fall  into  a 
clinch. 

**  Break  away,"  says  the  referee. 

In  the  next  minute  Dick  sends  a  swing  towards 
his  man's  body.  Tom  steps  aside  and  has  planted 
two  resounding  blows  on  Dick's  cheek  and  ear. 
Dick  turns,  tries  for  the  body,  succeeds  this  time, 
and  they  are  in  holds  again.  The  onlookers,  who 
are  accustomed  to  ordinary  boxing,  remark  the 
strange  sound  of  the  blows,  sharp  and  spanking.  Not 
that  the  loudness  of  a  blow  means  anything  :  it  is 
the  dull-sounding  hit  which  generally  does  the  most 
damage. 

The  first  round  goes  the  full  four  minutes.  In  the 
next  after  a  sharp  rally  Dick  slips  down  and  falls  half 
through  the  ropes — bad  foot  work.  So  that  round 
ends.  In  the  third  it  is  seen  that  Dick  is  waiting 
for  his  man.  He  refuses  to  lead  and  Tom,  with 
confidence  born  of  his  previous  victory  and  his 
adversary's  clumsy  feet,  goes  for  him  left  and  right. 
Dick  tries  to  retaliate  with  a  cross-counter ;  Tom 
jumps  aside,  and  sends  in  a  beautiful  right  on  the 
side  of  the  jaw.  Down  goes  Dick  again,  almost 
knocked  out.  So  far  the  fight  had  been  a  repetition 
of  the  other.  Tom  is  the  better  boxer  and  seems  to 
be  winning,  hands  down. 

After  the  next  call  of  time,  Tom  tries  in-fighting 
because  he  cannot  land  as  many  blows  as  he  would 


44  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

like  at  long  range,  and  he  will  not  persevere.  Then 
Dick  wakes  up  suddenly,  and  there  is  fine  scrapping. 
Blow  for  blow  they  are  equal.  It  looks  as  though 
Tom  was  trying  to  hold,  and  Dick  is  beginning  to 
use  his  feet.  Blood  flows.  Tom's  sharp  knuckles 
have  landed,  not  squarely,  upon  Dick's  eye  ;  glancing 
away  towards  his  ear,  and  ripping  the  loose  skin.  A 
fierce  rally  is  in  progress  when  time  is  called.  And 
the  next  round  is  rather  similar  and  the  next.  In 
each  Tom  has  a  slight  advantage. 

Really  it  is  a  very  good  fight,  the  onlookers  think  : 
though  the  more  blood-thirsty  amongst  them  would 
fancy  harder  hitting.  But  for  that  they  have  not  to 
wait  long.  After  a  little  sparring  Tom  suddenly  gives 
back  a  pace  before  a  straight  left,  feints  with  his  right 
at  the  body,  and  sends  a  left  hook  whizzing  in  over 
his  antagonist's  guard.  The  blow  lands  on  the  side 
of  Dick's  rather  prominent  nose.  The  latter  involun- 
tarily puts  up  his  hand  to  his  face  and  Tom  comes 
closer,  gives  him  a  hard  drive  on  the  mark  with  his 
left,  following  it  with  a  still  harder  right  on  the 
already  damaged  eye.  That  is  the  best  blow  of  the 
encounter  so  far — clean  and  straight.  Dick  falls  back 
and  grunts  with  pain  as  his  seconds  bend  to  lift 
him  up. 

"  Will  you  give  in  ?  "  asks  Tom  from  his  corner, 
but  is  vouchsafed  no  reply. 

"  You  wait  a  bit,  my  lad,  he'll  give  in  soon  enough," 
says  one  of  his  friends,  mopping  his  face  with  a  sponge. 
**  You've  cracked  his  nose  for  him." 

And  from  one  side  of  the  ring  at  least  it  is  easy  to 
see  Dick's  second  manipulating  the  injured  member 


BARE  KNUCKLES  45 

between  finger  and  thumb,  and  then  standing  away 
with  his  head  cocked  on  one  side  to  make  sure  that  it 
is  straight. 

Tom  is  very  happy  in  this  knowledge.  He  is 
certainly  going  to  win,  and  says  so  to  those  about 
his  corner.  He  springs  from  his  chair  exactly  at  the 
call  of  time,  and  fairly  jumps  across  the  ring  towards 
Dick.  He  tries  a  furious  swing,  misses,  and  lands 
with  the  left  upon  the  nose  again.  Dick  steps  aside, 
obviously  hurt,  but  determined.  He  is  weak,  though 
his  defence  is  still  adequate.  Tom  lands  again  upon 
the  broken  nose,  the  torn  eye.  But  even  so  Dick 
gets  back  now  and  again.  Time,  and  there  is 
applause  for  both  of  them. 

Tom  is  desperately  anxious  to  be  done  with  it. 
He  dashes  in  at  the  beginning  of  each  round,  pound- 
ing away  at  body  and  head,  principally  head.  Dick 
is  bleeding  profusely.  He  fights  on  the  retreat  and 
makes  Tom  do  most  of  the  work.  The  latter,  who  is 
a  good  hand  at  a  winning  fight,  is  only  too  ready  to 
accommodate  him.  At  the  end  of  the  eleventh  round 
he  comes  charging  in,  stops  a  hard  right  at  his  mark 
and  tries  for  Dick's  nose  again  ;  only  to  his  great  sur- 
prise— Dick  isn't  there.  He  has  nipped  aside  with 
remarkable  speed  for  him,  and  before  Tom  knows  it, 
a  desperate  fist  has  come  and  gone  and  come  again 
upwards  on  his  very  mark.  He  gives  back  involun- 
tarily, and  loudly  they  cheer  when  a  spanking  left  from 
Dick  clips  him  on  the  side  of  the  chin  and  sends  him 
sprawling. 

One  or  two  tender-hearted  people  there  had 
wondered  whether  the  referee  was  going  to  stop  the 


46  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

fight.  Now  they  acknowledge  that  he  knows  more 
about  boxing  than  they  do.  Being  a  man  of  imagina- 
tion he  reckoned  that  Dick  still  had  something  up 
his  sleeve.  It  is  to  be  remarked  henceforward  that 
Tom  is  not  a  good  hand  at  a  losing  fight.  He  hasn't 
b6en  hurt,  and  Dick  has — rather  severely.  He  is 
really  a  pitiful  sight,  and  might  have  sat  as  a  model 
for  Dungaree  when  Johnny  Broome  had  done  with 
him.  And  he  is  very  weak ;  he  cannot  follow  up  his 
advantages  properly.  He  means  to,  especially  after  a 
mighty  body  blow  which  all  but  knocks  the  wind  out 
of  Tom.  But  he  really  cannot.  And  yet  it  is  Tom 
now  who  keeps  out  of  the  way  of  punishment,  per- 
petually retreating. 

A  round  or  two  later  Dick  all  but  falls  from  a  hit 
on  the  forehead,  but  just  holds  up  and  guards  the  next 
blow,  and  sends  his  own  right  to  his  opponent's  jaw. 
There  is  very  little  weight  behind  it,  but  it  makes  the 
latter  think.  That  fellow  Dick  takes  more  beating 
than  he  supposed.  A  strong  disinclination  to  fight 
comes  over  Tom,  and  at  the  next  blow,  which  he 
partly  stops,  he  deliberately  tumbles  down.  At  least, 
people  on  that  side  of  the  ring  think  so. 

And  there  are  two  more  rounds,  during  which 
Dick  contrives  to  fend  off  serious  damage  and  to  land 
half  a  dozen  body-blows  scarce  worthy  of  the  name. 
He  goes  back  to  his  corner  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth 
round  leaning  heavily  on  his  second.  He  wonders  how 
much  longer  he  can  hold  out.  What  has  happened  to 
Tom  ?  Why  is  he  playing  like  this  ?  And  he  has 
scarcely  sunk,  shattered  and  limp,  on  to  his  chair,  when 
someone  speaks.     Dick  can  scarcely  understand  it. 


SIDE-STEPPING   AWAY    FROM   A   STRAIGHT   LEFT 


(see  page\73) 


BARE  KNUCKLES  47 

*'Tom,"  says  that  boxer's  second  to  the  assembly, 
'*Tom  retires.     I  am  sorry  to  say  he  is  not  well." 

Tom  has  had  a  nasty  punch  or  two  in  the  wind. 
He  feels  sick.  It  isn't  worth  while  going  on.  What's 
the  good  of  getting  hurt  for  a  few  quid  ?  And  the 
next  moment  Dick  is  half  carried  across  to  the  loser's 
corner  to  receive  a  sulky  shake  of  the  hand. 

But  that  is  only  one  instance. 


V 


CHAPTER   IV 
GENERAL   HINTS 

"  The  deficiency  of  strength  may  be  greatly  supplied  with  art ;  but  the 
want  of  art  will  have  but  heavy  and  unwieldy  succour  from  strength." — 
Boxiana. 

BROADLY  speaking  no  accessories  are  required 
for  boxing,  which  fact  makes  it  the  simplest, 
the  most  universally  attainable  pursuit  there 
is.  Perhaps  swimming  may  be  excepted,  for  the 
necessary  water  may  on  an  average  be  more  easily 
found  than  a  second  pair  of  fists.  Practically,  of 
course,  gloves  are  required,  and  suitable  garments. 
And  if  you  intend  to  go  in  for  competitions  you  must 
box  in  a  roped  ring  in  order  to  learn  the  advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  a  corner. 

But  the  art  of  self-defence  and  the  sport  of  boxing 
should  be  separately  regarded.  For  the  former  you 
should  be  able  to  fight  encumbered  by  your  ordinary 
clothes,  on  slippery  grass,  on  rough  and  rutted 
ground,  on  greasy  pavements,  with  no  rope  to  con- 
fine your  activities  or  to  prevent  you  from  being 
knocked  against  a  wall.  The  latter — the  sport — is 
but  the  dainty  child  of  a  stern  parent.  True  that  it 
bears  a  closer  resemblance  to,  favours  its  prototype 
more  than  fencing,  though  curiously  enough  practice 

with  padded  gloves  is  a  less  valuable  schooling  for 

48 


GENERAL  HINTS  49 

genuine  and  necessary  fisticuffs  than  play  with  the 
buttoned  foil  is  for  the  duel. 

In  civilized  boxing  you  require  scientific  aids  to 
refinement :  a  level,  boarded  floor,  that  your  feet  may 
slide  and  glide  and  shift  nimbly,  swiftly,  easily  ;  rubber- 
soled  shoes  that  the  sliding  may  not  be  too  easy ; 
seconds  to  bathe  you  with  cold  water  and  flap  towels 
before  you  between  rounds  ;  as  well  as  all  the  accoutre- 
ments of  training,  such  as  punching-balls  and  sacks, 
and  skipping  ropes. 

The  best  kit  for  boxing  consists  of  a  thin  vest  with 
short  sleeves,  loose  calico  or  linen  drawers,  cut  well 
above  the  knee,  socks  and  light  shoes  or  boots.  A 
scarf  should  be  worn  round  the  waist  and  tied  at  the 
back.  Buckled  belts,  even  when  fastened  in  this 
manner,  are  liable  to  cause  injury.  A  thick  sweater 
can  be  used  for  sparring  practice  and  punching  the  ball, 
but  it  will  always  be  found  better  not  to  wear  trousers 
as  perfect  freedom  is  required  for  the  knees.  In  a 
stern  set-to  a  boxer  will  naturally  want  the  lightest 
possible  covering. 

The  choice  of  gloves  is  extremely  important.  As 
in  most  relations  of  life  the  best  that  money  can  buy 
are  the  most  economical,  provided  they  are  properly 
worn.  Of  late  years,  the  most  variously  designed 
mittens  have  been  invented  and  sold,  from  an  awk- 
ward contrivance  which  consists  of  a  spherical  bag 
with  a  leather  bar  to  hold  inside  it,  to  the  ingenious 
sort  which  by  protecting  the  wrist  deprive  the  knuckles 
of  their  full  share  of  padding.  Certainly  more  com- 
fortable gloves  can  now  be  procured  than  the  usual 
old-fashioned  type,  and  preference  should  be  given  to 
4 


50  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

those  which  have  the  horse-hair  in  the  right  place, 
which  are  laced  and  not  merely  fastened  with  a  band 
of  elastic,  and  which,  most  important  of  all,  do  not 
need  to  be  worn  a  dozen  times  or  more  before  they 
can  be  closed  comfortably  and  without  effort. 

To  box  with  new  gloves  which  you  cannot  close 
without  considerable  muscular  exertion  is  an  obvious 
handicap.  For  amateur  competitions  each  glove 
must  weigh  eight  ounces,  and  generally  it  is  better  to 
practise  with  gloves  of  the  regulation  weight.  When 
punching  the  ball  it  is  a  good  thing  to  use  an  old  pair, 
discarded  for  ordinary  sparring,  and  in  this  case  a 
lighter  glove  is  more  useful. 

The  importance  of  wearing  your  gloves  properly 
cannot  be  exaggerated  :  and  this  must  be  insisted  on 
because  the  old-fashioned  type  of  glove  (which  is 
very  stiff  when  new)  is  still  the  most  generally  used. 
The  glove  should  be  drawn  on  to  its  fullest  extent, 
care  being  taken  to  put  the  fingers  into  their  right 
stalls.  It  is  the  commonest  occurrence  to  find  boxing 
gloves  that  have  been  carelessly  used  in  this  respect, 
with  the  leather  partitions  muddled  and  torn  and 
displaced.  However  uncomfortable  a  stiff  glove  may 
be  at  the  outset,  once  properly  worn  for  a  few  times, 
the  difficulty  of  pushing  the  finger-tips  to  the  ex- 
tremity of  their  partitions  will  be  over. 

It  is  well  enough  to  use  gloves  with  elastic  bands, 
provided  the  elastic  is  renewed  from  time  to  time. 
Otherwise  supplementary  tapes  must  be  tied  round 
the  wrist  and  over  the  thumb.  With  laced  gloves  a 
bow  should  be  tied  on  the  front  after  the  strings  have 
been  taken  round  the  wrist. 


GENERAL  HINTS  51 

Boxing  gloves  should  be  kept  in  a  dry  place,  and 
should  always  be  thoroughly  washed  if,  after  an 
encounter,  there  is  any  blood  upon  them.  Apart 
from  the  question  of  cleanliness,  blood  dries  hard  upon 
the  leather,  and  the  rough  surface  may  cut  the  skin 
with  which  subsequently  it  comes  in  contact.  When, 
owing  to  a  slip  or  a  knock  down,  your  gloves  have 
touched  the  floor,  always  dust  them  against  your 
body.  Particles  of  sawdust  or — worse — resin,  with 
which  the  ring  is  generally  sprinkled,  will  stick  to  the 
gloves,  and  are  liable  to  cause  injury.  Frequently, 
in  these  circumstances,  a  referee  will  order  a  boxer  to 
wipe  his  gloves  before  continuing  to  spar.  Some 
boxers  —  nearly  all  professionals  —  wear  bandages 
under  their  gloves.  These  should  be  of  soft  lint. 
Bandages  are  particularly  useful  for  protecting  the 
thumb,  especially  in  contests  where  lighter  than  eight- 
ounce  gloves  are  worn. 

In  no  sport  is  the  temptation  stronger  than  in 
boxing  to  run  before  you  can  walk.  It  is  a  tempta- 
tion more  strenuously  than  some  others  to  be  resisted. 
You  must  learn  to  stand  in  position  before  you  begin 
to  hit :  to  hit  and  guard  simply  and  straightforwardly 
before  you  try  the  several  kinds  of  fantastic  blows 
to  which  various  pugilists  have  given  their  names,  or 
which  are  called  after  the  particular  internal  organ 
they  are  calculated  to  harass.  And  it  may  as  well  be 
noted  here  that,  having  learned  the  elements  of 
English  upright  boxing,  and  having  subsequently  tried 
all  the  new-fangled  dodges,  the  chances  are  strongly 
in  favour  of  your  returning  to  the  simplest  and  least 
sophisticated    methods.     I    am    speaking    here    for 


52  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

amateur  boxers,  the  majority  of  whom  box  for  the 
sake  of  exercise;  and  who  find  the  somewhat  old- 
fashioned  and  purely  English  style  greatly  preferable 
to  the  eccentric  postures  and  ultra-scientific  forms  of 
attack  mainly  imported  from  America. 

With  regard  to  the  head,  body,  and  feet,  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  the  regular  English  upright  position  is  by 
far  the  best.  Crouching  and  sprawling  and  attitud- 
inizing may  be  well  enough  for  the  highly  experienced 
boxer,  but  even  for  him  they  are  liable  to  prove 
dangerous.  Jim  Driscoll,  the  most  brilliant  boxer  of 
the  present  generation,  is  a  perfect  exponent  of  the 
upright  and  straight-hitting  style.  Crouching  may 
help  to  protect  the  body,  but  it  certainly  exposes  the 
head :  and  if  your  feet  are  far  apart,  advance  and 
retreat  must  necessarily  be  both  awkward  and  slow. 
Ease  and  comfort  are  best  realized  by  the  upright 
style.  Not  that  it  appears  to  be  natural  or  comfortable 
at  the  outset :  on  the  contrary  you  have  to  grow  accus- 
tomed to  a  strange  position.  New  muscles  are  brought 
into  play,  and  you  will  find  yourself  stiff  and  cramped 
until  they  are  more  fully  developed. 
/^  The  head  and  body  should  be  held  straight ;  both 
/  knees  should  be  slightly  bent,  the  left  foot  pointing 
/  directly  in  front  of  you,  the  right  about  ten  to  fifteen 
I  inches  (according  to  your  height)  behind  it,  at  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees  or  so.  The  left  foot  should  rest 
entirely  on  the  ground,  the  right  heel  should  be  very 
slightly  raised.  In  this  way  your  weight  is  equally 
distributed  and  balance  maintained.  Your  body 
should  always  move  from  the  hips. 

The  position  of  the  left  foot  is  extremely  import- 


GENERAL  HINTS  53 

ant.  If  it  is  not  absolutely  straight  before  you,  your 
left  hand  will  strike  crookedly — in  the  same  direction 
as  that  in  which  your  toes  point. 

The  left  foot  should  in  all  circumstances  be  in 
front.  Advancing  or  retreating  this  order  should 
never  be  altered.  The  reason  for  this  is  plain.  If, 
in  attacking  a  man  who  retreats,  you  follow  him  and 
change  the  order  of  your  feet,  you  will  be  in  a  strained 
and  awkward  position.  Your  left  shoulder  and  arm 
will  be  forced  forward  whilst  your  left  foot  is  behind. 


cr:> 


Position  of  feet  {a)  when  standing  still,  and  {b)  when  advancing. 

Should  your  opponent  make  a  stand  at  that  moment, 
a  light  blow  will  knock  you  over  :  or — what  is  worse 
— you  will  find  yourself  confused  and  flurried,  leaving 
yourself  open  to  a  dangerous  blow.  Retreating,  this 
muddling  up  of  the  feet  is  still  more  mischievous. 
Kept  well  apart  and  in  their  right  order,  your  balance 
is  secure.  The  left  foot  should  always  be  moved  first, 
and  when  it  is  in  position  the  right  foot  should  be 
drawn  up  to  the  corresponding  place.  In  moving 
the  feet  backwards  and  forwards,  you  should  never 
lift  them  from  the  ground,  but  slide  them  along  the 


54  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

floor.  That  is  why,  as  observed  above,  a  level 
boarded  floor  is  essential  to  boxing  regarded  as  a 
scientific  sport. 

When  beginning  to  learn  it  is  excellent  practice 
to  advance  and  retreat  across  a  room  before  a  long 
looking-glass.  You  can  then  see  if  you  are  making 
mistakes,  and  correct  them.  And  in  a  little  while  the 
right  placing  of  your  feet  will  become  perfectly  natural 
and  spontaneous.  A  looking-glass  is  useful  in  many 
other  branches  of  boxing,  as  will  be  shown  later  on. 

The  body  should  be  held  slightly  edgeways,  with 
the  left  shoulder  well  advanced,  so  as  to  leave  as  little 
target  as  possible  for  your  adversary's  blows.  The 
left  arm  should  be  half  extended,  straight  before  you  : 
the  right  held  diagonally  across  your  chest,  the  elbow 
well  in  to  the  side,  the  knuckles  uppermost.  The 
reason  for  this  last  is  that  the  fleshy  part  of  the  under 
forearm  should  be  thrust  forward  to  guard.  Very 
severe  bruises  are  likely  to  be  caused  by  the  constant 
impact  of  the  bone  of  the  forearm  with  your  opponent's 
wrist.  The  left  shpulder  should  be  raised  always  to 
protect  the  chin,  f  This  position  will  be  found  very 
cramping  at  first,  and  a  considerable  time  will  elapse 
before  you  become  completely  accustomed  to  it.  But 
it  is  highly  important  and  should  not  be  neglected.    J 

To  lay  down  a  hard  and  fast  rule  for  the  position 
of  the  left  hand  is  impracticable  :  though  drill  sergeants 
and  other  people  who  do  things  by  numbers  naturally 
believe  that  the  same  rule  must  suit  everyone.  At 
the  public  schools  championships  you  can  tell  nearly 
always  what  school  has  an  old  soldier  for  its  instructor, 
by  the  methods  of  its  representatives  ;  especially  if 


GENERAL  HINTS  55 

one  school  sends  up  two  or  more  boys.  Whatever 
their  natural  characteristics  may  have  been,  they  are 
taught  to  box  in  a  precisely  similar  way.  To  be  in 
any  way  unique  would  seem  to  be  a  grievous  breach 
of  esprit  de  corps} 

For  the  position  of  your  left  hand  you  should 
follow  your  natural  movements  as  far  as  possible, 
moulding  them  to  the  requirements  of  science.  You 
should  let  your  arm  hang  loosely  at  your  side,  and 
raise  it,  slightly  bent  and  with  the  fist  clenched,  in 
the  way  that  first  occurs  to  you  :  or  rather  without 
thinking  of  it  at  all.  Some  people  will  find  their  palm 
uppermost,  whilst  the  majority  hold  their  knuckles 
sideways.  But  it  makes  no  difference  to  the  sub- 
sequent blow,  which  must  always  be  given  with  the 
knuckles. 

When  you  are  in  position  it  is  well  to  keep  moving 
constantly — sparring  for  an  opening,  moving  in  and 
out  with  short,  gliding  steps,  keeping  your  left  arm 
working  gently  like  a  slow  piston.  Move  your  right 
arm  too,  but  not  to  the  same  extent.  This  constant 
movement  serves  two  purposes  : — your  opponent  can 
never  tell  from  which  side  to  expect  danger ;  and  you 
will  be  keeping  your  muscles  free  and  easy,  ready  on 
the  instant  to  respond  to  any  call  that  may  be  made 
upon  them. 

The  careful  direction  of  a  natural  position  is  usually 
better  than  a  revolutionary  upheaval  of  all  precon- 
ceived ideas.  Of  course,  there  are  those  who  have 
no  preconceived  ideas,  or  those  whose  natural  position 

^  This  is  only  to  be  said  of  old  soldiers ;  for  Service  boxing  during 
the  last  ten  years  has  im  roved  out  of  recognition. 


56  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

is  such  that  it  is  best  completely  forgotten.  There  is 
the  natural  fighter  who  is  always  a  good  man  with 
his  fists,  a  dangerous  antagonist,  hard  to  be  beat. 
No  amount  of  teaching  or  practice  will  ever  make 
him  a  thoroughly  scientific  boxer.  He  generally  has 
considerable  strength  and  will  often  thrash  a  weaker 
man  and  a  better  boxer.  Other  things  being  equal 
the  more  scientific  boxer  will  win.  But  the  natural 
fighter  is  not  to  be  despised.  He  lacks  polish — his 
attitude  is  uncouth,  his  movements  are  clumsy.  His 
blow  will  be  dangerous  when  it  lands,  for  he  hits 
terrifically  hard  :  but  much  of  his  power  is  wasted. 
His  attack  is  better  than  his  defence,  though  that  is 
not  to  say  he  cannot  fight  a  losing  battle.  He  can 
and  will — with  indomitable  courage  and  occasional 
surprising  rallies. 

By  a  natural  fighter  is  not  meant  the  man  who 
charges  at  you  head  down,  using  his  arms  like  flails, 
but  the  man  in  whom  certain  essentials  of  real  boxing 
are  born.  One  of  these  is  straight  hitting  and 
straight  standing,  but  he  cannot  manage  his  feet,  and 
he  is  a  poor  hand  at  guarding.  However  he  is  a 
glutton  for  punishment,  and  he  has  won  many  a  hard- 
fought  encounter. 

As  must  be  universally  known,  every  boxing 
encounter,  whether  it  be  a  twenty  round  contest  for 
the  Championship  of  the  World  or  the  lightest  of 
practice  spars,  is  preceded  and  concluded  by  the  two 
opponents  shaking  hands.  Sneers  have  been  levelled 
at  this  ancient  and  symbolic  rite  by  people  who 
believe  boxing  to  be  a  very  wicked  business  indeed. 
The  fact  is  either  that  they  take  the  handshake  too 


GENERAL  HINTS  57 

literally  or  else  are  unable  to  recognize  the  true  spirit 
of  sport.  It  is  sheer  hypocrisy,  say  these  folk,  that 
two  men  who  are  bent  on  causing  each  other's  down- 
fall, on  bruising  and  battering  and  making  to  bleed 
and  drop  from  exhaustion  each  man  his  fellow,  should 
make  an  ostentation  of  goodwill  at  the  outset. 

Certainly  in  a  serious  fight,  with  bad  blood  in  it, 
between — say — two  schoolboys,  there  is  no  call  for 
the  preliminary  shaking  of  hands.  Whilst  at  the  end 
the  emotional  qualities  of  the  sternest  and  most  re- 
ticent will,  from  fatigue  and  relief  and  the  fact  that  a 
difference  has  for  the  moment  been  settled,  in  most 
cases  make  the  simple  act  perfectly  genuine  in  in- 
spiration. In  the  case  of  a  competition,  however,  or 
a  mere  impromptu  bout  with  the  gloves,  it  Is  a 
dastardly  imputation  upon  sportsmen  to  deny  their 
goodwill.  Those  who  find  themselves  too  squeamish 
to  hurt  their  best  friends,  or  be  hurt  by  them  as  much 
as  possible  and  in  the  fairest  and  most  cold-blooded 
way,  had  better  remain  ignorant  of  the  various 
methods  in  which  this  may  be  done. 

Quite  apart  from  this  serious  and  careful  aspect  of 
the  point  in  question,  it  is  only  fit  that  a  certain 
punctilio  should  be  observed  in  fisticuffs  as  in  sword- 
play  :  the  more  so  as  it  is  traditional.  At  the  call  of 
Time,  the  two  combatants  rise  from  the  chairs  or 
stools  in  their  corners  and  meet  in  the  middle  of  the 
ring.  For  the  sake  of  convenience,  then,  they  should 
occupy  opposite  corners.  They  shake  hands  and  fall 
into  position.  Sometimes  this  is  elaborated — gener- 
ally in  the  case  of  professionals — by  the  two  men 
walkis^  past  each  other  after  shaking  hands.     Some- 


58  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

times  this  manoeuvre  looks  like  a  silly  affectation,  and 
it  is  not  altogether  that.  It  is  done  in  order  to  show 
that  no  sudden  blow  is  intended  immediately  after  the 
handshake,  that  the  fight  shall  start  fair  and  square. 

However,  it  does  sometimes  happen  that  a  man 
will  hit  you  the  moment  he  has  released  your  hand  : 
and  when  sparring  with  anyone  of  whose  ideals  of 
honour  you  are  uncertain  it  is  wise  to  step  back 
instantly.  To  do  this  so  as  to  take  up  the  proper 
position  at  once,  shake  hands  with  your  right  foot 
foremost ;  then  draw  it  back,  at  the  same  time  raising 
your  left  arm  into  the  attitude  already  described. 

Before  detailing  the  various  methods  of  attack  and 
defence,  a  few  general  points  should  be  noticed. 
Always  keep  your  eyes  wide  open  and  fixed  upon 
those  of  your  opponent.  The  natural  inclination  of 
a  beginner  very  often  prompts  him  to  watch  his  man's 
gloves.  By  doing  that  he  will  be  most  surely 
deceived.  What  the  gloves  do  preparatory  to 
striking  is  only  the  concern  of  him  who  wears  them. 
A  boxer,  seeing  that  his  antagonist  has  his  eyes  upon 
his  hands,  will  feint,  moving  them  this  way  and  that, 
puzzling  his  man ;  who  will  first  think  that  his  head  is 
the  point  aimed  for,  then  his  body  ;  until  finally  he 
is  thoroughly  muddled  and  will  try  to  guard  every 
point  at  once.  That  leaves  him  open  to  a  blow  given 
at  leisure  and  exactly  as  required.  It  is  only  by 
keeping  your  eyes  on  your  opponent's  that  you  can 
guess  what  he  will  do.  If,  in  turn,  you  see  him  look 
away  take  immediate  advantage  of  the  fact  and  press 
your  assault. 

Another  important  thing  to  remember  is  that  the 


GENERAL  HINTS  59 

teeth  should  be  closed  and  the  jaw  firmly  (though  this 
should  not  be  exaggerated)  set.  If  you  receive  even 
a  light  blow  under  the  chin  when  your  tongue  is 
between  your  teeth  the  result  is  obvious,  and  ex- 
tremely painful  at  that.  Moreover,  if  your  teeth  are 
not  closed,  you  will  far  more  easily  be  knocked  out 
or  dazed  by  a  blow  on  the  side  of  the  chin.  Firmly 
set,  the  jaw  can  successfully  resist  ten  times  the  impact 
that  will  almost  dislocate  it  when  loose.  It  is  a 
question  of  leverage,  which  will  be  more  fully  dealt 
with  when  we  come  to  knock-out  blows, 

And,  when  hitting,  always  keep  your  hand  tightly 
clenched.  A  blow  with  the  open  glove  has  no  power 
behind  it  to  speak  of,  is  not  counted  by  the  judges 
as  a  point  gained,  and  in  some  cases  may  cause  a 
considerable  injury  to  the  wrist.  Even  an  experi- 
enced boxer  is  occasionally  tempted  to  hit  with  the 
tips  of  his  fingers,  because  it  gives  him  a  longer  reach. 
But  the  practice  is  one  to  avoid.  Also  remember 
that  hitting  with  the  "heel"  of  the  hand — that  is  to 
say  the  lower  part  of  the  inside  of  the  glove  where 
there  is  no  padding — is  reckoned  a  foul  blow.  And 
this  too  may  recoil  upon  the  striker,  to  the  extent 
of  breaking  his  wrist.  And,  of  course,  the  same 
applies  to  a  hit  with  the  wrist  itself,  or  the  elbow ;  or 
to  butting  with  head  or  shoulders. 

Always  hit  with  the  knuckles  of  either  hand. 
Not  only  does  this  give  greater  power,  but  in  the 
event  of  swinging  {q.v.)  saves  injury  to  the  thumb. 
It  naturally  follows  that  when  men  are  boxing,  they 
should,  broadly  speaking,  move  round  in  circles. 
Always  move    towards   your   opponents  left :  other- 


6o  THE- COMPLETE  BOXER 

wise  you  will  invite  a  smashing  blow  from  his  right 
hand. 

Hit  your  opponent  where  you  please  above  the 
belt,  bearing  in  mind  that  blows  high  on  the  chest 
or  on  the  shoulder  are  unlikely  to  have  damaging 
effects. 

Never  let  your  antagonist  see  that  he  has  hurt 
you.  Of  course  it  is  almost  impossible  to  disguise 
the  fact  when  you  receive  a  severe  blow  in  the  wind. 
Then  you  will  gasp  involuntarily.  But  when  you 
receive  a  hard  blow  on  the  face — even  on  the  jaw — 
you  need  not  give  the  fact  away.  If  you  do  your 
antagonist  will  naturally  take  advantage  of  it.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  there  is  no  apparent  effect,  he  will  be 
just  as  cautious  as  before,  believing  that  his  blow 
landed  not  quite  so  hard  as  he  had  supposed,  or  not 
upon  the  vulnerable  spot  he  had  aimed  for. 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  CARDINAL  BLOWS 

"  The  muscles  are  as  springs  and  levers,  which  execute  the  different 
motions  of  the  body ;  but  by  art  a  man  may  give  additional  force  to 
them."— Pierce  Egan. 

THE  Straight  left  lead  at  the  head  is  the  best 
of  all  blows.  It  is  that  first  attempted  in 
ninety-nine  contests  or  sparring  matches  out 
of  a  hundred,  and  is  therefore  the  first  taught  of  the 
instructor.  It  is  the  simplest,  perhaps  the  most 
elementary.  To  the  beginner  it  is  not  a  very  easy 
blow  to  make  perfect,  because  unless  he  is  naturally 
left-handed  or  ambidextrous,  he  will  find  himself  stiff 
and  awkward  in  the  constant  employment  of  unaccus- 
tomed muscles. 

But  a  good  straight  left  will  repay  months  of 
attention  and  the  assiduous  drudgery  of  practice. 
After  a  time  it  becomes  the  least  difficult  blow  to 
deliver  and  should  be  regarded  from  every  aspect 
as  the  cardinal  method  of  attack.  It  is  the  safest 
blow  there  is,  for  the  reason  that  it  leaves  less  of  a 
target  for  your  opponent  than  any  other.  ,A  left 
hand  blow  straight  from  the  shoulder,  repeated  over 
and  over  again,  is  the  most  wearing  to  an  opponent, 
and  it  goes  from  one  point  to  another  direct  and 
therefore  by  the  quickest  route. 

6x 


62  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

As  in  learning  the  preliminary  stages  of  foot-work, 
much  good  practice  can  be  got  in  front  of  a  looking- 
glass.  But  of  course  it  is  impossible  to  tell  except 
with  an  opponent  facing  you  to  what  an  extent  your 
theoretical  knowledge  has  made  you  proficient.  To 
deliver  the  straight  left  at  the  head,  take  up  your 
position  and  push  your  arm  forward  straight  at  your 
man's  face.  Do  not,  as  you  will  want  to,  draw  it 
back.  The  beginner  generally  believes  that  added 
power  will  be  given  thus.     It  will  not. 

The  strength  of  a^an's  arm  alone  is  insufficient 
to  do  much  damage.  Ljrhe  arm  should  be  regarded 
merely  as  a  padded  buffer  with  a  heavy  engine  behind 
it.  It  is  the  weight  of  the  body  thrown  behind  a 
blow  which  tells.  In  order  best  to  bring  it  into  play 
the  left  foot  should  be  advanced  and  the  right  heel 
not  moved,  but  lifted.  This  brings  your  weight 
upwards  and  forwards.  The  left  arm  should  be  just 
straightened,  as  you  strike.  The  movements  of  arm 
and  foot  respectively  should  be  together ;  or  if  you 
have  lifted  your  left  foot  a  little,  the  hand  (if  anything) 
should  strike  its  objective  a  trifle  before  the  foot 
touches  the  floor.  Also  as  you  hit  you  should  swing 
the  body  a  little  to  the  left.  By  these  several  simul- 
taneous movements,  the  greater  part  of  your  weight 
will  drive  your  arm  before  it,  making  its  impact  of 
the  most  violent  kind.  t3 

Some  little  added  force  is  given  to  the  blow  by 
twisting  the  hand  over  as  you  strike,  but  this  is  an 
elaboration  better  neglected  until  the  ordinary  method 
is  thoroughly  mastered. 

As  you  lead,  raise  the  right  hand  with  the  palm 


THE  CARDINAL  BLOWS  63 

outwards  to  guard  the  face.  But  at  the  same  time 
you  should  be  ready  instantly  to  drop  your  elbow  to 
stop  a  counter  on  the  body. 

It  is  commonly  found  that  beginners  aim  solely 
for  the  head.  Whether  this  is  done  from  some 
savage  instinct  to  mark  the  enemy  where  that  mark 
may  best  be  observed,  it  is  not  to  be  said  off-hand ; 
but  to  make  for  the  face  alone  is  a  first-rate  mistake. 
Generally  speaking,  a  persistent  and  vigorous  attack 
upon  a  man's  body  will  usually  wear  him  out  sooner 
than  repeated  blows  upon  the  head — always  excepting 
the  angle  of  the  jawTj 

By  ''body"  is  meant  in  the  first  and  most 
important  instance,  the  wind  :  that  is,  the  point  where 
the  ribs  curve  away  from  the  breast  bone.  Any 
hard  sudden  blow  upon  this  spot  is  fraught  with 
overwhelming  effect.  The  man  who  receives  it, 
whether  from  a  cricket  or  football,  or  from  the  fist  of 
a  boxer,  tends  to  double  up  and  gasp.  There  is  a 
most  nauseating  and  actually  painful  sensation,  and 
frequently  one  who  has  been  severely  winded  collapses 
upon  the  floor,  frequently  is  unable  to  rise  before  ten 
seconds  are  counted.  But  apart  from  the  wind, 
almost  any  hard  blow  upon  the  body  is  calculated  to 
weaken  a  man.  Repeated  attacks  on  the  ribs  having 
the  effect  of  tiring  him  :  and  a  shrewd  body  blow, 
if  it  does  naught  else,  is  liable  to  make  your  opponent 
tuck  in  his  stomach  and  so  thrust  his  head  forward. 

Where  body  blows  are  most  obviously  valuable 
is  in  the  case  of  the  small  man  pitted  against  another 
much  taller.  A  long  reach  is  of  inestimable  advan- 
tage in  boxing :  a  specially  long  reach  is  like  fighting 


64  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

a  swordsman  with  a  longer  rapier  than  your  own ; 
and  the  tall  man  naturally  has  this  advantage  over 
the  small  one.  He  can  prop  him  off  with  his  straight 
left  so  persistently  and  with  such  certainty  that  the 
small  man  can  hardly  ever  reach  his  head.  But  what 
he  can  do,  if  he  is  of  any  use  at  all  as  a  boxer,  is  to 
slip  past  or  duck  that  long  left  arm  and  attack  his 
tall  opponent's  body.  And  he  will  find  ample  com- 
pensation in  this  for  his  littleness  of  stature. 

In  usual  boxing,  men  are  paired  off  to  spar  who 
are  within  one  of  the  recognized  limits  of  weight :  so 
that  two  men  of  eleven  stone  will  have  a  similar 
power  behind  their  respective  blows.  But  one  of 
them  may  be  a  lanky  giant  and  the  other  a  broad- 
shouldered,  deep-chested  fellow.  The  latter  is  likely 
to  have  much  greater  physical  strength  than  the 
other  :  who  in  his  turn  is  probably  weedy.  So  that 
a  heavy  body  blow  from  the  stout  little  man  will,  at 
the  least  estimation,  do  as  much  harm  as  the  long 
arm  attack  upon  the  latter's  head. 

Later  on  when  mention  is  made  of  in-fighting,  it 
will  be  shown  how  a  short  boxer  may  make  the  best 
of  his  shortness,  and  how  easily  accessible  to  him  his 
antagonist's  "mark"  may  be. 

[The  straight  left  and  right  at  the  body  are  both 
comparatively  easy  to  deliver  successfully,  particularly 
the  latter.  In  the  former  case,  the  position  is  in  every 
respect  the  same  as  the  left  lead  for  the  head,  but  with 
the  glove  striking  downwards.  In  body  blows  the 
weight  can  be  even  more  emphatically  brought  to  bear 
than  in  a  blow  at  the  head,  but — especially  with  the 
left  hand — great  care  should  be  taken  lest  the  glove 


THE  CARDINAL  BLOWS  65 

strike  too  low.  For  body  blows  it  is  better  to  bend 
the  arm  a  little  more,  to  come  rather  closer  to  your 
antagonist  than  for  head  blows ;  and  the  left  foot 
should  come  forward  considerably  more  than  with  a 
blow  at  the  head.  A  left  hand  body  blow  is  exclu- 
sively concerned  with  the  wind  or  **  mark  "  :  the  right 
hand  naturally  comes  more  conveniently  under  the 
region  of  the  heart. 

In  order  to  deliver  a  left  hand  body  blow  it  is 
necessary  to  learn  to  duck.  As  your  opponent  leads 
off  with  his  left,  instead  of  guarding  the  blow,  merely 
avoid  it  by  inclining  your  head  to  the  right  and  allow- 
ing his  arm  to  pass  safely  over  your  shoulder.  When 
doing  this  the  feet  should  not  be  moved.  At  the  same 
time  bring  the  left  foot  forward  and  strike.  For  the 
right  hand  body  blow,  you  should  bend  your  head  to 
the  left  as  your  opponent  leads  off,  and  it  is  well  to 
come  a  little  closer  than  in  the  case  of  the  left  hand 
blow.  Your  feet  should  be  nearer  together,  and  the 
body  should  swing  round  heavily  behind  your  right 
arm.  The  unaccustomed  boxer  usually  likes  to  use 
his  right  as  much  as  possible,  and  this  is  the  best 
opportunity  for  him.  The  blow  is  one  of  the  easiest 
to  bring  off  and  is  extremely  effective.  Every  ounce 
of  weight  can  be  brought  to  beanl 

Always,  if  you  can,  be  first.  The  first  really  good 
blow  in  an  encounter  is  often  decisive.  When  you 
are  boxing  with  a  man  whose  powers  and  skilfulness 
are  unknown  quantities,  and  who  is  similarly  ignorant 
about  you,  do  your  utmost  to  land  the  first  blow  and 
make  it  a  telling  one.  A  man  is  often  discouraged  at 
the  outset  in  this  way.  He  may  be  led  to  think  that 
5 


66  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

you  are  a  much  better  boxer  than  is  actually  the  case, 
and  will  fight  on  the  defensive  accordingly. 

And  press  your  attack  and  follow  up  an  advantage. 
By  this  it  is  not  meant  that,  having  delivered  a  blow, 
you  should  remain  in  the  same  position.  You  will  be 
punished  for  it  if  you  do.  But  having  struck  a  good 
blow,  get  away,  come  in  again  at  once,  and  strike 
another.  If  your  man  breaks  ground  before  you, 
follow  him  :  not  carelessly  or  with  rushing,  heedless 
steps  :  but  quickly  following  left  foot  with  right,  left 
foot  with  right,  until  you  can  pen  him  in  a  corner. 
Nothing  is  more  demoralizing  than  the  persistent 
assault,  if  at  the  outset  it  has  been  successful.  At  the 
same  time,  so  long  as  a  man  holds  his  ground,  you 
should  retire  out  of  harm's  way  after  each  blow  ;  until, 
that  is,  you  have  learned  to  give  double  blows — right 
instantly  following  left,  or  mce  versa. 

Having  led  off  with  the  left  (whether  you  have 
landed  the  blow  or  not)  step  back.  The  right  foot 
should  slide  back  first,  then  draw  the  left  after  it,  all 
the  while  being  ready  to  ward  off  a  sudden  attack  on 
your  opponent's  part.  Retreat  out  of  reach  of  his 
blows  but  no  further  ;  then  come  in  again.  Of  course 
when  your  man  gives  before  you  there  is  no  question 
of  retiring.  Then  you  should  crowd  in  your  blows  as 
quickly  as  possible,  moving  your  feet  continually 
forward  in  the  proper  manner — left — right — left — 
right.  But,  save  in  the  case  of  a  man  you  know  for 
certain  to  be  your  better — (and  even  then,  judicially) 
— try  to  be  first  :  do  your  utmost  to  begin  the  fight 
with  a  really  hard  straight  blow. 

The  best  way  in  which  to  learn  straight  blows  in 


THE  CARDINAL  BLOWS  67 

the  first  instance  is  to  go  in  for  regular  exercises, 
provided  always  that  you  do  not  allow  your  move- 
ments to  become  wooden.  A  good  instructor  gener- 
ally follows  this  method ;  but  it  can  be  practised 
equally  well  with  a  fellow  pupil,  so  long  as  you  know 
how  to  deal  the  several  blows  properly. 

In  a  club  it  is  a  good  plan  to  be  doing  this  while 
the  ring — if  you  have  only  one — is  occupied  by  another 
pair.  This  exercising  for  particular  blows  takes  up 
little  space  in  a  small  room,  where  every  square  foot 
is  of  importance  :  and  it  can  be,  both  for  beginners 
and  adepts  alike,  quite  as  useful  as  sparring  with  a 
punching  ball. 

^Each  man  should  take  it  in  turn  to  be  a  chopping- 
block.  First  of  all,  we  will  say,  your  opponent  stands 
on  guard,  and  you  lead  with  your  left  at  his  head  with 
your  left.  Then  you  retire,  then  lead  again.  He  will 
have  a  rigid  guard  all  the  time,  so  you  need  not  be 
afraid  of  taking  him  unawares.  In  fact,  it  is  better  to 
hit  as  hard  as  you  can,  so  as  to  learn  the  art  of  putting 
weight  behind  your  blow,  of  transferring  every  atom 
of  your  power  to  the  impact  of  your  glove  upon  its 
objective.  Then  it  is  your  turn  to  guard,  standing 
still,  neither  ducking  nor  countering.  You  should  take 
your  man's  blow  on  your  glove,  pressing  it  outwards 
just  before  it  would  land.  When  it  is  your  business 
to  hit  again,  try  a  left  at  the  body,  and  then  a  double 
lead-off :  left  at  the  head  and  right  at  the  body,  and 
so  onl\ 

It  is  a  great  mistake,  if  you  are  teaching  a  beginner, 
to  be  the  chopping-block  only.  In  the  first  place,  the 
pupil  does  not  have  his  fair  share  of  guarding  ;  and  in 


68  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

the  second,  you  tend  to  become  slow  and  stiff.  A 
professional  who  has  taught  boxing  for  a  number  of 
years  can  never  return  to  the  ring  with  any  reasonable 
hope  of  success.  For,  considered  from  all  points  of 
view,  teaching  is  the  worst  possible  practice. 

But,  of  course,  ordinary  sparring  should  never  be 
neglected.  And  even  when  two  beginners  get  into 
the  ring  and  go  for  each  other  hammer  and  tongs  they 
will  learn  a  good  deal.  Their  mistakes  must  be  cor- 
rected, of  course ;  and  now  and  again  they  should  be 
pulled  up  short  by  the  instructor  who  is  watching 
them.  And  they  should  never  be  allowed  to  repeat 
a  mistake  without  a  caution.  But  for  all  that  a  good, 
hard  bout  will  find  out  what  a  man  is  worth,  so  long 
as  he  is  well  grounded  in  the  rudiments  of  the  science. 
At  the  same  time,  a  beginner  should  not  be  prepared 
to  take  on  all  comers  promiscuously.  If  he  does,  he 
may  get  a  perfectly  unnecessary  thrashing  from  some- 
one who  likes  an  easy  foe,  and  in  this  way  he  may  be 
discouraged  from  continuing  a  promising  career. 

The  exercises  above  referred  to  are  of  genuine 
value,  and  they  are  the  only  means  by  which  a  beginner 
can  acquire  a  perfect  straight  left.  Nevertheless  it 
is  easy,  by  overdoing  these  exercises,  to  become 
mechanical.  If  you  learn  your  lesson  by  numbers — 
(i)  straight  left  at  the  head,  followed  by  (2)  a  right 
at  the  body,  with  no  variation — your  opponent  in  a 
competition  will  very  soon  take  the  measure  of  you. 
But  even  if  you  do  that,  so  long  as  the  straight  left  is 
a  really  good  one,  you  will  readily  beat  many  a  more 
showy  boxer.  For  such  is  the  power  of  the  best  of 
all  possible  blows. 


CHAPTER  VI 
DEFENCE 

"There  is  nothing  that  interests  me  like  good  boxing,"  said  Sir 
Robert  Peel,  "it  asks  more  steadiness,  self-control,  ay,  and  manly 
courage,  than  any  other  exercise.  You  must  take  as  well  as  give, — 
eye  to  eye,  toe  to  toe,  and  arm  to  arm." 

IN  boxing  quickness  is  more  than  half  the  battle. 
Three  or  four  movements,  at  first  learned 
separately  and  laboriously,  merge — when  per- 
fected— imperceptibly  into  one  another.  After  a  time 
the  right  placing  of  hands  and  feet,  the  turnings  of  the 
head,  all  become  second  nature.  Save  in  specific 
methods  of  attack,  the  accustomed  boxer's  actions  are 
quite  spontaneous  and  inevitable.  He  does  not  have 
to  think,  but  moves  unconsciously.  Of  course  when 
he  wants  to  land  a  particular  blow  or  to  manoeuvre 
his  man  into  a  certain  position,  he  must  think  and 
plan  and  do  it  with  extraordinary  alertness,  so  that 
agility  of  brain  is  quite  as  necessary  as  suppleness  of 
muscle. 

pt  is  always  better  to  avoid  a  blow  than  to  stop 
it.  By  ducking  or  slipping,  or  side  stepping,  not 
only  do  you  save  yourself  from  your  antagonist's 
intentions,  but  you  can  at  the  same  time  put  yourself 
into  a  good  position  for  a  return.  And  the  best  way 
of  avoiding  any  straight   blow,  but  particularly  the 


70  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

left  at  the  head,  depends  entirely  upon  quickness. 
You  see  the  straight  left  arriving.  You  time  it. 
And  at  the  moment  when  your  opponent  means  it 
to  land,  you  step  back  just  out  of  reach.  All  you 
have  to  do  is  to  plant  your  right  foot  back  six  or 
eight  inches,  at  the  same  time  throwing  your  head 
and  shoulders  back.  The  blow  is  then  expended 
upon  empty  air ;  and  it  should  be  mentioned  in- 
cidentally that  the  man  who  violently  strikes — nothing, 
is  liable,  besides  over-reaching  himself  and  putting 
himself  into  a  slightly  top-heavy  position,  to  jar  his 
arm  severely.  But  do  not  lean  back  more  than  is 
absolutely  necessary,  or  you  will  be  in  a  perfectly 
hopeless  attitude  from  which  it  is  extremely  difficult 
to  recove^ 

On  the  other  hand,  if  you  have  just  got  out  of 
distance,  you  are  in  a  perfect  position  for  an  instan- 
taneous return.  At  the  precise  moment  that  your 
opponent's  arm  has  reached  its  fullest  extent  in  the 
attempt  to  hit  you,  draw  up  your  right  foot,  slide  in 
your  left  and  strike.  This  is  a  first-rate  opportunity 
for  your  own  straight  left,  or  for  a  right  at  the  body, 
or — when  you  come  to  learn  it — a  left  hook-hit  at 
the  jaw.  But  to  be  fully  effective  such  a  return  must 
be  timed  to  the  fraction  of  a  second ;  and  that  can 
only  come  of  practice.  Ducking  has  already  been 
referred  to  in  connection  with  body  blows.  It  should 
be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  the  movement  may 
prove  dangerous,  especially  where  the  head  is  lowered 
as  well  as  shifted  to  the  side.  For  that  brings  it  within 
reach  of  a  hook-hit  from  your  opponent,  or  an  upper- 
cut — a  difficult  blow,  which  will  be  dealt  with  later  on. 


DEFENCE  71 

Ducking  and  moving  the  head  backwards  to  avoid 
a  straight  blow  and  forwards  to  protect  the  chin, 
develops  the  muscles  of  the  neck  to  a  remarkable 
degree.  That  is  why  most  habitual  boxers  are  bull- 
necked.  Some  experienced  boxers  when  ducking 
bend  their  knees  and  go  down  so  far  as  to  be  almost 
sitting  on  their  haunches  in  order  to  let  a  blow  pass 
right  over  their  heads.  This  is  not  to  be  recom- 
mended, however,  since  the  most  agile  boxer  will 
find  it  difficult  to  recover  his  upright  position  suffi- 
ciently quickly.  Besides,  if  done  continually,  this 
constant  bobbing  up  and  down  is  likely  to  be  tiring. 
And  one  of  the  great  points  in  scientific  boxing  is  to 
reserve  your  strength  and  so  to  manoeuvre  as  to  let 
your  antagonist  do  most  of  the  work  and  let  him,  if 
possible,  tire  himself. 

Slipping,  on  the  other  hand,  though  more  hard 
to  make  perfect,  is  less  likely  to  leave  you  open  to 
attack.  Wait  until  your  adversary  leads  off  with  his 
left ;  or  if  you  can  do  so  by  a  feint,  invite  him  to  lead 
off  and,  as  the  blow  comes,  duck  to  your  right.  Do 
this,  not  by  lowering  the  head,  but  by  turning  your 
left  shoulder  towards  him,  at  the  same  time  advancing 
with  the  left  foot  well  past  him.  In  this  way  his  left 
arm  will  pass  harmlessly  away  not  merely  over  your 
own  shoulder,  but  outside  it,  and  you — if  you  are 
quick  and  he  is  slow — can  be  at  the  other  side  of  the 
ring  before  he  realizes  what  has  happened. 

But,  unless  you  have  some  very  adequate  reason 
for  getting  completely  out  of  reach,  it  is  infinitely 
better  to  stop  and  take  advantage  of  the  position  you 
have  gained.     By  turning  out  the  left  foot — that  is, 


72  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

towards  your  opponent — and  bringing  round  the  right 
to  its  corresponding  position,  and  by  doing  this  at  the 
utmost  speed,  you  will  be  in  the  right  attitude  for 
attack  whilst  your  man  is  still  wondering  why  he 
hasn't  hit  you.  You  are  then  in  a  position  for 
planting  a  short-arm  blow  with  the  right  on  his  ribs, 
or  you  may  be  able  to  get  in  a  hard  right  to  the 
side  of  his  head  over  his  extended  shoulder. 

The  side-step  is  used,  less  for  avoiding  any  par- 
ticular blow  than  a  series  of  them.  That  is  to  say, 
it  is  the  best  way  of  breaking  your  antagonist's  rush  ; 
either  when  he  is  trying  to  pen  you  against  the 
ropes  or  in  a  corner.  It  is  a  most  necessary  dodge 
to  learn,  but  should  not  be  attempted  until  you 
thoroughly  understand  ducking  and  slipping  and 
getting  away  out  of  distance. 

Your  opponent  has  gained  some  small  advantage, 
and,  as  he  should,  has  followed  it  up.  You  have  been 
unable  to  stand  against  him  and  have  retreated, 
steadily  and  in  good  order  until  you  find  yourself 
in  a  corner.  Once  resolutely  hemmed  in,  you  are 
liable  to  become  flustered  and  confused ;  you  cannot 
retreat  any  more,  and  sooner  or  later  your  opponent 
will  get  in  a  blow  that  may  finish  the  matter  there 
and  then.  So  as  soon  as  you  find  yourself  in  this 
predicament,  make  up  your  mind  to  be  out  of  it  at 
once.  There  are  two  ways  of  doing  this :  one  as 
already  indicated  by  side-stepping  ;  the  other  by  sheer 
force.  You  have  gone  back  until  you  can  go  back  no 
more.  You  make  a  stand,  hold  both  arms  slightly 
bent,  and  go  straight  for  your  man,  fighting  him, 
forcing  him  back.     That  is  well  enough  if  you  can 


DEFENCE  73 

rely  on  your  strength  being  greater  than  his,  and  if 
you  are  able  also  to  bear  the  strain. 

LSide-stepping  is  less  heroic  but  of  more  practical 
use.  Strength  is  not  required :  there  will  be  no 
severe  strain  on  your  reserve  force.  Turn  the  body 
suddenly  to  the  right,  at  the  same  time  taking  a  good 
pace  to  the  right  with  the  right  foot.  Keep  your 
head  turned  to  the  left  so  as  to  watch  your  opponent. 
Draw  up  the  left  foot  immediately  into  its  proper 
position  in  front  of  the  right,  and  you  will  find  yourself 
well  away  to  your  man's  left  and  out  of  danger.  You 
will  then  be  able  either  to  get  away  to  the  middle  ot 
the  ring,  or,  which  is  better,  turn  the  tables  on  your 
opponent  by  forcing  him  into  the  corner  which  you 
occupied  only  a  moment  before.  Needless  to  say, 
this  manoeuvre  must  be  accomplished  with  lightning 
speed,  if  it  is  to  achieve  its  purpose! 

The  reason  why  side-stepping  is  better  left  alone 
until  more  elementary  and  more  important  movements 
are  learnt  is  that  it  reverses — just  for  a  moment — the 
golden  rule  which  insists  on  the  left  foot  always  being 
in  front.  Also,  just  for  a  moment,  you  are  standing 
in  a  position  when  very  little  will  upset  your  balance. 
Side-stepping  can  best  be  practised  with  a  sparring 
partner  or  instructor  stronger  than  yourself,  and  well 
able  so  far  as  force  is  concerned  to  keep  you  in  the 
corner. 

These  then  are  the  ways  in  which  to  avoid  blows. 
We  come  now  to  the  far  more  common,  but  on  the 
whole  less  desirable  guard.  It  has  already  been 
said  that  when  taking  up  your  position  facing  an 
opponent,  the   right  arm  should  be  held  diagonally 


74  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

across  the  chest  with  the  knuckles  inwards,  so  that 
the  muscular  part  of  the  forearm  and  not  the  bone 
may  stand  the  brunt  of  the  blow  it  has  to  meet ; 
or  rather  not  so  much  the  blow  as  the  forearm  of 
your  opponent. 

LXn  order  to  guard  a  left  lead  at  the  head  thrust 
out  the  arm  firmly  in  the  position  described,  and 
return  it  to  its  original  position  immediately  after- 
wards, that  you  may  be  prepared  for  another  blow. 
Take  care  to  hold  the  arm  diagonally  still  as  you 
guard.  Most  beginners  make  the  capital  mistake  of 
raising  their  elbow.  If  you  do  that  the  forearm  is 
but  a  narrow  bar  across  the  face ;  and  your  op- 
ponent can  hit  over  or  under  it  as  he  pleases.  Held 
slantwise  it  can  be  moved  to  left  or  right  far  more 
surely  than  the  horizontal  arm  can  be  shifted  up  or 
down.  Besides,  even  when  held  perfectly  still,  the 
diagonal  guard  covers  far  more  of  the  target.  It  is 
necessary  to  put  considerable  power  behind  the  arm 
as  you  push  it  out  to  guard,  as  otherwise  it  may  be 
badly  hurt  or  beaten  down.  And  then  the  blow  may 
land  after  all  J 

[To  stop  a  left  hand  body  blow,  all  you  have  to 
do  is  to  lower  your  arm  so  as  to  guard  the  "  mark." 
It  should,  however,  be  held  slightly  away  from  the 
body,  as  otherwise  the  arm  may  be  driven  so  forcibly 
against  your  body  as  to  allow  you  to  feel  the  blow  : 
though,  of  course,  it  will  be  in  a  modified  formi^ 

/[Guarding  a  right  hand  body  blow  is,  of  itself, 
quite  easy.  You  merely  have  to  lower  the  left  arm 
somewhat  so  that  the  elbow  protects  the  ribs.  Un- 
fortunately,  however,  you  are  seldom  in  a  position 


DEFENCE  75 

to  do  that,  since  it  is  when  your  left  arm  is  extended 
in  a  lead  at  your  opponent's  head  that  he  is  most 
likely  to  duck  and  try  the  blow  in  question.  You 
should  then  be  prepared  to  cover  your  left  ribs  with 
your  right  glove. 
^  TZA  right  handed  blow  at  the  head  either  of  the 
straight  or  swinging  variety  (that  most  frequently 
employed  by  beginners)  is  unquestionably  the  easiest 
to  stop  effectually.  Your  left  arm  being  naturally 
held  fairly  high,  it  only  remains  to  make  it  rigid  ; 
and  nothing  can  get  past  it  from  the  outside  ;  and 
nothing  from  the  inside  that  your  right  arm  guard 
cannot  account  for.  Also,  of  course,  you  can  guard 
the  face  from  a  right  hand  blow  by  bending  your 
left  arm  at  the  elbow ;  remembering,  as  with  the 
right  arm  guard,  to  turn  the  knuckles  towards  your 
face  and  the  muscular  side  of  the  forearm  to  the 
enemyVl 

Then,  too,  the  position,  strongly  recommended, 
[^-^  with  the  left  shoulder  held  perpetually  high  renders 
"~^  it  extremely  difficult  for  your  antagonist  to  touch  that 
part  of  your  face  which  is  most  vulnerable — the  jaw. 
No  doubt  with  bare  knuckles  this  high-held  shoulder 
would  be  less  effectual.  An  eight  ounce  glove  makes 
your  fist  above  three  times  its  natural  size,  and  there- 
fore unable  to  glance  through  (so  to  say)  the  joints 
in  your  harness,  as  a  naked  fist  would.  Moreover 
bare  knuckles  could  do  more  damage  to  the  upper 
part  of  your  face.  You  cannot,  unless  your  strength 
be  really  prodigious,  knock  out  a  man  by  a  blow  full 
in  the  face  given  with  a  well  padded  glove.  A  blow 
on  the  side  of  the  temple  or  behind  the  ear  may  do. 


76  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

so  readily  enough,  but  the  only  damage  likely  to 
occur  in  the  front  of  the  face  is  the  breaking  of  a 
nose  or  the  blackening  of  an  eye.  In  the  days  of 
knuckle  fighting  it  was  a  great  thing  to  pound  away 
at  your  man's  eyes  so  that  they  became  badly 
swollen  and  he  could  not  see.  But  it  is  comparatively 
rare  for  such  a  contingency  to  arise  with  ordinary 
boxing  glove^ 

To  refer  back  to  ducking,  there  is  a  trick  prac- 
tised sometimes  in  ordinary  boxing  which  is  foul, 
but  which  is  certainly  allowable  and  even  to  be 
recommended  in  a  serious  street  encounter.  The 
word  "street"  will  be  understood  to  convey  an 
occasion  when  you  are  attacked  (it  may  be  in  a 
country  lane)  and  you  have  to  defend  yourself — or 
someone  else — with  your  bare  fists.  It  often  happens 
too  that  the  trick  is  done  unintentionally.  When 
he  ducks  instead  of  merely  avoiding  his  opponent's 
lead,  an  unfair  boxer  will  come  in  close  and  bring 
his  left  shoulder  into  heavy  contact  with  his  man's 
ribs.  Such  a  blow  may  cause  very  considerable 
damage,  a  referee  will  call  a  boxer  who  does  it  to 
order,  and  if  he  persists,  disqualify  him. 

This  invaluable  dodge  for  a  rough-and-tumble  fight 
is  made  still  more  effective  by  throwing  back  the  left 
arm  just  as  the  shoulder  meets  your  opponent's  ribs. 
This  puts  the  bone  into  relief  and  makes  a  sharp 
point.  But  in  ordinary  boxing,  quite  apart  from  the 
unfairness  of  the  trick,  it  is  usually  much  better  policy 
to  duck  away  from  a  blow  at  a  distance,  and  not  to 
come  to  such  close  quarters  as  would  be  necessary 
when  the  shoulder  is  brought  into  play. 


GUARD   FOR  A  STRAIGHT   LEFT,   WITH    LP:FT   HAND   C0UNTP:R   ON   THE 

" MARK " 

(see  pages  74  and  jg) 


DEFENCE  Ti 

Another  point  to  be  remembered  with  regard  to 
body  blows  is  that  when  within  range  of  the  enemy's 
arm,  always  keep  your  stomach  muscles  well  set. 
As  this  requires  a  certain  amount  of  effort,  they  can 
be  safely  relaxed  when  you  are  out  of  distance :  but 
the  difference  between  a  blow  on  the  **  mark  "  when 
the  large  abdominal  muscles  are  closed  over  it  and 
one  given  when  they  are  not,  is  just  the  same  as 
upon  the  open  and  closed  jaw.  A  man  with  well 
developed  muscles  can  take  a  mighty  lot  of  hard 
hitting  in  that  region  :  but  a  blow  there  when  the 
muscles  are  undeveloped  or  allowed  to  be  soft  and 
slack  is  like  a  blow  on  a  window  with  the  shutters 
open. 


CHAPTER  VII 
COUNTER   BLOWS 

"  Strength,  most  undoubtedly,  is  what  the  boxer  ought  to  set  out  with, 
but  without  art  he  will  succeed  but  poorly." — Boxiana. 

COI>NTER  blows  are  those  which  are  intended 
to  frustrate  your  opponent's  lead.  They  are 
many  in  number,  and  should  not  be  attempted 
by  the  beginner  in  boxing  until  the  elementary  forms 
of  offence  have  been  thoroughly  mastered.  The  right 
hand  body  blow  is,  of  course,  often  a  counter — that  is, 
a  blow  given  in  return  to  one  of  your  opponent's  ;  for 
leading  off  with  the  right  is  always  dangerous.  You 
should  wait  for  your  antagonist's  left  lead  at  the  head, 
or  better  still  for  his  right  lead  at  the  same  spot. 
For  the  straight  right  hand  lead  at  the  head  is  about 
the  most  difficult  blow  to  bring  off  successfully  that 
there  is.  If  your  opponent  attempts  this,  you  cannot 
do  better  than  to  counter  with  the  right  on  the  body. 
[One  of  the  most  effective  counters  you  can  use  is 
the  straight  left,  to  stop  your  man  when  he  is  rushing 
you.  It  is  a  famous  mistake  to  charge  or  jump  in 
at  a  man  at  any  time.  If  you  jump  you  are  liable  to 
be  hit  when  both  your  feet  or  one  of  them  is  off 
the  ground — when,  therefore,  you  have  no  balance. 
Your  downfall  will  be  almost  certain   in  that  case. 

But  it  is  particularly  inadvisable  to  rush  a  man  who 

78 


COUNTER  BLOWS  79 

is  retreating  slowly,   and  guarding  well  and  who  is 
obviously  not  dead  beafTj 

We  will  say  that  you  are  retreating  like  this,  in 
good  order,  trying  to  draw  your  opponent  after  you. 
Believing  that  he  has  you  in  his  power,  he  rushes ; 
perhaps  with  both  arms  half  extended,  or  with  one 
drawn  back  to  swing.  Stop  short  suddenly  with 
your  left  straight  and  rigid  before  you,  and  he  will 
run  on  to  it.  His  whole  weight  will  be  behind  him  : 
and  if  at  the  same  moment  you  throw  your  shoulder 
forward  and  advance  your  left  foot,  your  weight  will 
be  added  also.  Such  a  blow  with  the  force  of  your 
combined  bulk  behind  it  is  not  readily  forgotten  by 
the  man  who  gets  it. 

The  most  common  form  of  counter  blow  is  the 
hook-hit.  ^s  its  name  suggests,  it  is  given  with  the 
bent  arm.  One  of  the  best  methods  of  using  the 
hook  is  to  wait  for  your  antagonist  to  lead  with  his 
left.  Guard  the  blow  with  your  right  arm,  at  the 
same  time  coming  a  little  closer  to  him.  As  his 
shoots  out,  lower  your  left  arm  and  hit  out,  with  the 
knuckles  uppermost,  at  his  mark.  Do  not  put  much 
weight  behind  that  blow,  but  instantly  draw  back 
your  arm  and  send  a  similar  blow  to  the  angle  of  his 
jaw.  The  first,  if  it  has  no  other  effect,  will  draw 
down  your  man's  guard;  and  the  second,  if  you  are 
quick  enough,  will  land  in  a  most  damaging  manner. 
When  hitting  with  your  left  at  a  man's  body,  be  care- 
ful always  to  avoid  his  elbow.  If  he  holds  it  low 
over  his  ribs  and  well  pointed,  it  forms  a  dangerous 
spike  even  through  a  thick  glove.  There  was  a  case 
of  a  man  who  swung  his  left  heavily  at  his  opponent's 


8o  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

ribs,  caught  him  on  the  elbow  and  found  subsequently 
that  through  the  padding  of  an  eight-ounce  glove  he 
had  broken  a  bone  of  his  hand  and  put  two  knuckles 
out  of  joint. 

yThe  left  hook  at  the  jaw  is  a  first-rate  blow. 
Properly  timed  and  judged  it  has  often  finished  a 
battle,  or  at  least  paved  the  way  for  the  decisive  blow 
coming  next  after  it.  Really  there  is  no  need  to 
complicate  it  by  the  preliminary  hit  at  the  body.  A 
double  hit  in  any  case  is  seldom  of  much  use  unless 
given  by  a  boxer  of  the  most  tried  experience. 
Double  hits  depend  for  their  success  entirely  upon 
speed,  and  speed  of  a  by  no  means  common  order. 
But  either  of  these  blows — at  the  body  or  at  the  head 
— taken  separately  is  an  admirable  counter.  If  you 
don't  contrive  to  land  the  blow,  you  will  not  be  in 
any  worse  case  than  you  were  before  ;  if  you  do,  you 
can  follow  it  up  promptly  with  another,  or  with  a 
right  hand  blow  at  the  jaw.  At  all  events  the  great 
thing  is  to  keep  pegging  away  at  your  man,  never 
to  leave  him  alone,  so  long  as  you  have  the  power  to 
hit  hard?\  There  is,  of  course,  a  limit  to  the  advis- 
ability"cn  persistence,  and  that  will  be  discussed  in  the 
chapter  given  to  Competitions. 

{The  most  generally  used  crooked  blow  is  the 
right  hand  cross-counter  on  the  jaw,  which  has 
been  responsible  for  more  knocks  out  than  any  other. 
This  is  delivered  when  your  opponent  leads  with  his 
left.  You  duck  to  the  left  yourself,  and  bring  your 
right  hand  across  to  the  jaw  over  his  shoulder.  To 
do  this  the  right  arm  should  be  well  bent,  so  that 
your  glove  and  elbow  is  in  a  straight  line  at  right 


COUNTER  BLOWS  8i 

angles  to  his  head.  But  if  you  try  this  blow  with 
the  arm  only  partially  bent,  so  that  your  elbow  and 
your  opponent's  as  he  leads  are  alongside  each  other, 
you  will  only  reach  his  ear  or  eye  or  cheekbone. 
His  shoulder  and  upper  arm  will  be  between  your 
glove  and  his  jaw.  In  any  case,  owing  to  a  man's 
shoulder  being  well  lifted  to  protect  the  side  of  his 
face,  the  blow  will  often  have  no  effect  at  alQ 

Of  course,  the  ideal  condition  for  a  rignt  hand 
cross-counter  is  when  your  opponent  is  either  too 
tired  to  hold  up  his  shoulder,  or,  underrating  your 
own  power,  is  careless  about  it.  It  is  a  good  plan 
instantly  to  follow  up  a  right  hand  cross-counter  with 
a  straight  left  at  the  face.  To  do  that  well,  you 
should  step  back  a  little  and  come  forward  again 
quickly  with  the  left  foot,  as  in  an  ordinary  lead  off. 

It  cannot  be  too  frequently  repeated  that  a  boxer 
must  always  follow  up  an  advantage.  You  will  see 
a  man  sometimes  land  a  good  blow  and  then  stand  off 
to  watch  its  effect  and  admire  it.  That  simply  means 
that  his  opponent  has  time  in  which  to  recover  from 
its  effects.  Even  when  wearied,  or  possibly  hurt 
yourself,  never  fail  to  keep  on  at  your  man.  It  needs 
considerable  determination  sometimes,  but  then  de- 
termination (to  be  Irish)  is  one  of  those  many  things 
in  boxing  which  are  half  the  battle. 

The  upper-cut — a  very  over-rated  blow — is  for 
some  reason  or  other  a  great  temptation  to  beginners. 
By  them,  however,  it  should  be  eschewed.  The 
blow  requires  considerable  cleverness  to  be  of  any 
real  use,  as  of  its  nature  it  is  difficult  to  put  much 
weight  behind  it.  It  can  be  done,  but  not  by  an  in- 
6 


82  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

experienced  boxer.  The  upper-cut  is  used  when  your 
opponent  ducks  too  low,  or  when,  as  often  happens 
with  a  clumsy  boxer,  he  habitually  bends  his  head 
forward.  An  opportunity  for  a  left  hand  upper-cut  is 
frequently  given  when  a  boxer  aims  a  left  hand  body 
blow  at  you  from  too  great  a  distance.  His  feet  will 
be  very  far  apart,  and  his  head  will  be  low  and  right 
in  front  of  you.  You  drop  your  own  left  and  bring  it 
up  suddenly,  bending  it  from  the  elbow,  into  his  face. 
The  knuckles  should  be  uppermost.  You  will  have 
to  twist  your  body  a  little  to  the  right  in  order  to 
throw  any  weight  behind  the  blow,  at  the  same  time 
jerking  your  left  shoulder.  A  similar  chance  some- 
times arises  for  your  right  hand  when  your  opponent 
tries  his  right  at  the  body,  and  then  since  your  left 
foot  is  advanced  you  will  find  it  easier  to  get  weight 
into  the  blow.  The  upper-cut  most  frequently  occurs 
during  in-fighting  {q.v.). 

And  then  there  is  the  swing  (with  either  hand) 
which  may  be  a  counter  and  which  may  not  :  the  most 
beloved  blow  of  all  beginners  and  many  old  stagers ; 
a  very  effective  one  when  it  does  land,  and  except 
against  an  already  beaten  man  quite  the  most  danger- 
ous to  the  smiter  of  the  whole  list.  This  blow  is  given 
by  drawing  back  the  arm  as  far  as  it  will  go  and 
swinging  it  forward  with  the  whole  weight  behind  it — 
usually  at  the  side  of  the  opponent's  jaw.  Its  merits 
are  therefore  obvious.  If  such  a  blow  lands  in  the 
right  place,  no  one  can  stand  against  it.  And  as  said 
above,  in  the  case  of  a  man  already  so  worn  out  that 
he  cannot  raise  his  arms  to  guard,  it  is  certainly  a 
good  way  of  finishing  him  off.     But  equally  obvious 


COUNTER  BLOWS  83 

are  the  demerits  of  the  swing,  and  they  outweigh  its 
advantages. 

In  the  first  place,  the  swing  is  dangerous  to  attempt 
because  you  must  draw  your  arm  right  back  and  away 
from  your  body  :  and  that  not  only  exposes  it,  but 
makes  it  impossible  to  bring  your  arm  back  into 
position  in  time  to  guard  a  blow.  Your  preparation 
for  straight  blows  need  give  no  inkling  to  the  adver- 
sary of  your  intentions.  The  swing  sends  him  a 
message — ''gives  him  the  office,"  to  employ  ancient 
jargon — long  before  the  blow  can  by  any  possibility 
land.  So,  if  he  has  his  wits  about  him,  he  makes 
perfectly  certain  of  thwarting  it  by  a  hard  straight  left, 
which  must  come  in  first  for  the  simple  reason  that  it 
has  about  a  quarter  the  distance  to  travel. 

If  that  objection  is  not  sufficient  there  are  others. 
You  must  be  even  more  especially  careful  when 
swinging  than  at  any  other  time  to  hit  with  the  big 
knuckles.  And  somehow  it  does  not  come  naturally 
to  do  that,  and  in  the  flurry  and  excitement  of  dealing 
a  prodigious  blow  the  boxer  forgets  and  hits  with  his 
thumb.  At  the  least  it  will  be  badly  sprained  :  often 
it  is  put  out  of  joint.  Of  course  a  boxer  has  no 
business  to  be  flurried  and  excited,  but  nevertheless 
even  those  of  many  years'  experience  very  often  are. 
If  you  put  your  thumb  out,  that  hand  will  be  useless 
for  hitting  for  the  rest  of  the  encounter. 

And  then  to  a  man  whose  strength  and  agility  are 
still  unimpaired,  a  swing  should  be  an  almost  ludi- 
crously easy  blow  to  frustrate.  To  guard  it,  the  half 
bent  arm  held  well  away  from  your  head  on  either  side 
is  enough.    Of  avoiding  it  entirely,  there  are  two  ways. 


84  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

Firstly,  by  coming  in  close  to  your  man  preparatory 
to  an  onslaught  with  half-arm  body  blows.  In  that 
case  your  antagonist's  swing  (if  it  is  intended  for  your 
jaw)  will  be  wasted  on  air  somewhere  behind  your 
head.  But  be  careful  to  come  forward  towards  him 
near  enough  :  otherwise  the  swing  may  land  on  the 
back  of  your  neck,  and  if  it  is  a  particularly  hard  one, 
you  may  be  knocked  out  of  time  by  that.  Such  cases 
have  been  known. 

Secondly,  you  can  step  back — ^just  as  you  would 
to  avoid  a  straight  left  :  only  step  back  a  little  farther. 
This  is  much  the  better  method,  for  then  not  only  will 
your  adversary's  arm  swing  round  into  emptiness,  but 
the  force  of  it  will  put  him  off  his  balance.  In  order 
to  illustrate  this  fact,  you  have  only  to  stand  in  the 
ordinary  position  for  boxing  and  swing  at  an  imaginary 
head.  Your  feet  being  rather  close  together  and  all 
your  weight  suddenly  shifted  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  your  position  will  be  evidently  perilous.  If  in 
a  competition  or  serious  combat  you  are  fortunate 
enough  to  make  your  adversary  do  this,  you  can  step 
in  quickly  and  punish  him  without  the  slightest  fear 
of  a  return. 

Then  there  is  an  infallible  guard  with  the  left  for 
the  right  swing  at  the  head,  which  merely  consists  in 
holding  out  your  arm  slightly  bent  and  in  stepping 
back  a  little  so  that  the  hit  cannot  land  over  your 
shoulder.  The  swing  lands  on  that,  and  if  (as  often 
happens  with  a  wild  boxer)  the  arm  comes  with  the 
inner  side  foremost,  its  contact  with  your  elbow  will 
be  considerably  painful  to  the  striker.  The  chances 
are  indeed  strongly  in  favour  of  his  arm  being  made 


COUNTER  BLOWS  85 

useless  for  some  minutes  afterwards,  or  even  for  the 
rest  of  the  fight.  Of  course  the  elbow  should  never 
be  used  in  this  manner  with  malice  prepense  :  but  he 
who  swings  should  remember  that  he  may  expect  it ; 
and  in  a  street  fight  it  is  certainly  a  legitimate  guard, 
and  a  definite  practice  to  bear  in  mind. 

The  same  thing  may  be  done  with  the  right  arm 
to  guard  a  left  swing  ;  but  this  entails  extending  your 
right  away  from  the  body  and  thus  leaving  it  open. 

Swinging  then  is  a  dangerous  practice  and  should 
only  be  resorted  to  with  a  tired  opponent,  or  one  who 
is  obviously  the  worser  scientific  boxer. 

/Feinting  plays  a  most  important  part  in  relation 
to  counter  blows.  You  are  (for  the  sake  of  argument) 
particularly  fond  of  a  right  at  the  body  :  therefore  you 
want  to  draw  your  opponent's  guard  away  from  that 
part.  Pretend  to  lead  off  at  his  head  with  your  left : 
that  is  to  say,  with  your  eyes  on  his,  move  your  arm 
not  too  violently  forward,  and  so  draw  up  his  guard. 
Then  duck  away  from  his  counter,  which  will  probably 
be  of  the  same  kind,  and  go  in  with  your  right?] 

An  excellent  plan  in  a  competition,  and  especially 
towards  the  end  of  it,  if  you  feel  fairly  strong,  is  to 
make  a  regular  succession  of  left-leads.  Apart  from 
all  else,  if  they  land,  they  add  up  the  points  in  your 
favour.  Left — left — left — one  after  another,  and  your 
opponent  will  think  you  mean  to  do  nothing  else, 
perhaps  that  you  have  hurt  your  right  hand  and 
cannot  hit  with  it.  Left,  left,  and  he  will  be  taken 
completely  by  surprise  when  you  suddenly  duck  and 
bring  the  right  home  on  his  body.  Some  men  drop 
both  their  hands  in  order  to  give  their  adversary  a 


86  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

free  target,  meaning  to  spring  aside  as  he  attacks  and 
take  him  at  a  disadvantage.  But  this  is  very  unwise, 
as  a  good  boxer  will  be  quick  enough  to  accept  the 
invitation  intended  as  a  fraud. 

Another  feint  which  may  be  useful,  but  in  an 
inexperienced  boxer  apt  to  recoil  upon  itself,  is  to  duck 
rather  low  to  the  left  to  invite  an  upper  cut  on  that 
side :  and  then  to  straighten  your  head  and  bring 
your  left  into  your  opponent's  face.  But  unless  this 
is  done  with  remarkable  speed  and  smartness,  you 
will  receive  the  upper  cut,  and  have  no  chance  for 
your  own  counter. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
IN-FIGHTING 

"Why  about  the  pugilists  this  pother? 

These  first  shake  hands  before  they  box  ; 
Then  give  each  other  plaguy  knocks, 
With  all  the  fondness  of  a  brother." 

AS  has  been  said  earlier  in  this  book,  the  pre- 
liminaries of  foot-work  may  most  usefully  be 
practised  in  front  of  a  long  glass.  Nimble- 
ness  of  feet  is  just  as  important  to  the  successful 
boxer  as  quickness  of  head  and  hand.  A  good 
dancer  will  find  his  gentle  art  of  great  value  when 
he  comes  to  learn  the  rough  one. 

After  a  sharp  rally — especially  with  a  man  heavier 
than  yourself — you  should  break  ground  :  that  is,  not 
merely  get  away  after  a  blow,  but  retreat  in  good 
order  to  rest  or  to  recover,  perhaps  from  a  damaging 
hit.  To  do  this,  lead  with  your  left,  at  the  same 
time  guarding  with  your  right ;  plant  your  left  foot 
firmly  on  the  ground,  push  on  it,  and  spring  well 
back.  As  your  left  foot  touches  the  ground  again  in 
front  of  your  right  (when,  in  fact,  you  are  in  your 
original  position),  repeat  the  process  again  :  but  learn 
to  do  it  so  quickly  as  to  make  almost  one  movement 
of  it.     With  practice  you  will  be  able  to  do  this  so 

as  never  to  fear  for  your  balance. 

87 


88  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

The  ordinary  foot-work  required  in  straight- 
forward boxing  is  simply  a  matter  of  practice  ;  and  a 
really  good  boxer  should  never  need  anything  else. 
There  is  one  trick,  however,  which  has  become  so 
popular  owing  to  the  skill  with  which  professionals 
use  it,  that  it  can  scarcely  avoid  some  mention.  This 
is  called  "  changing  feet "  ;  and  was  brought  over  from 
America  in  the  first  instance.  It  is  one  of  those 
deceptive  things  that  look  beautifully  easy  when  done 
by  a  first-rate  man,  but  which  is  both  difficult  and 
dangerous.  Changing  the  feet  should  never  on  any 
account  be  attempted  by  any  one  who  has  not 
thoroughly  mastered  the  principles  of  ordinary  foot- 
work. 

As  you  advance  upon  your  opponent — left  foot 
and  hand  in  front  in  the  usual  manner — you  suddenly 
draw  the  left  foot  back  and  put  the  right  in  its  place, 
thus  breaking  one  of  the  most  important  rules  of 
good  English  boxing.  The  movements  involved 
must  be  so  quick  as  to  appear  one  to  the  onlooker  ; 
and  yet  must  not  degenerate  into  a  jump  off  the 
ground.  As  your  right  foot  comes  down  on  to  the 
ground  quite  close  to  your  opponent's  left,  you  swing 
or  hook  your  own  left  hand  to  his  body.  This  can 
be  complicated  by  a  second  and  harder  blow  to  his 
jaw  without  moving  the  feet.  You  then  spring  back 
again  into  the  ordinary  position.  Fitzsimmons  was  a 
brilliant  exponent  of  the  dodge,  and  used  it  with 
tremendous  effect :  but  it  is  not  to  be  done  by 
everybody. 

The  underlying  idea  is  to  convert  your  left  arm 
into  as  powerful  a  weapon  as  your  right  for  the  occa- 


IN-FIGHTING  89 

sion  :  for  with  your  right  foot  in  front  it  is  easier  to 
swing  all  your  weight  behind  the  left  arm  blow  than 
in  the  ordinary  position.  So  much  for  the  advantage 
of  changing  feet  when  it  is  properly  done. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
you  will  be  slow  over  the  manoeuvre,  and  your  man 
may  literally  catch  you  tripping.  Once  the  feet  are 
out  of  gear,  out  of  their  normal  positions,  you  can 
never  depend  on  your  balance.  And  if  your  an- 
tagonist is  quick  enough  to  hit  you  at  the  moment 
when  your  feet  are  level  and  close  together,  you  are 
bound  to  go  down,  and  a  fall — even  from  a  light  blow 
— is  a  disconcerting  occurrence.  Apart  from  any 
hurt  involved  it  is  disheartening.  Or  things  may  be 
even  worse  with  you.  Your  opponent  may  surprise 
you  as  before,  hit  you  when  you  are  unsteady,  and,  not 
knocking  you  down,  continue  to  punish  you  whilst 
you  are  trying — probably  in  vain — to  resume  the  old 
position.  The  coolest-headed  man  is  apt  to  be 
flurried  then. 

A  necessary  branch  of  boxing,  but  one  that  is 
fraught  with  several  dangers  is  in-fighting :  which, 
roughly  interpreted,  means  fighting  at  close  quarters, 
with  short,  half-arm  blows.  There  is  nothing  than 
this,  from  the  onlooker's  point  of  view,  which  gives 
keener  pleasure  to  the  lover  of  scientific  boxing.  It 
requires  a  very  quick  eye  and  some  intimate  know- 
ledge of  the  sport  to  appreciate  in-fighting  :  and  it 
needs  two  fair-spirited  boxers  to  make  it  possible  at 
all.  For  in-fighting  your  attack  must  be  uncommonly 
quick,  your  guard  quicker  still.  For  the  average 
amateur,  in-fighting,  to  be  kept  up  for  any  appreciable 


90  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

length  of  time,  needs  the  very  finest  training.  It  is 
extremely  exhausting :  and  you  may  take  it  for 
granted  that  (being  an  average  amateur)  more  of 
your  opponent's  blows  will  land  on  your  head  and 
body  than  you  will  guard.  At  the  same  time,  if  you 
can  stand  the  strain  of  hitting  left-right  and  right-left 
in  the  quickest  possible  succession,  there  is  always 
a  good  chance  of  damaging  your  man. 

For  a  short  man  tackling  a  tall  one,  in-fighting  is 
highly  useful.  A  long  reach  is  of  enormous  advantage 
in  boxing,  and  the  tall  man  with  long  arms,  if  he  is 
well  taught,  will  make  the  most  of  it.  He  will  do 
his  utmost  to  prop  you  off  with  his  straight  left :  and 
you  will  sometimes  find  it  very  difficult  to  get  past  it. 
He  will  naturally  do  everything  he  can  to  prevent  you 
from  coming  close  to  him,  thereby  rendering  his 
reach  useless.  But  it  is  worth  risking  something  to 
gQt^  inside  his  long  arms. 

LJDo  not  rush  or  charge,  or  you  will  merely  in- 
crease the  power  of  his  blow.  The  best  way  is  to 
duck  inside  a  straight  left  at  your  head  and  then  to 
pound  away  at  his  body.  If  he  is  near  the  ropes  at 
the  time,  or  you  can  drive  him  there,  this  onslaught 
at  the  tall  man's  wind  will  be  still  more  effective.  He 
will  be  unable  t'o  get  away  before  you  have  sent  him 
half  a  dozen  short,  hard  blows ;  and  all  the  while  he 
will  be  trying  desperately  to  upper-cut  you  and  to 
force  you  away.  His  arms  will  be  over  your  head 
and  his  gloves  will  beat  upon  the  back  of  it,  unlikely 
to  do  much  harm.  Should  you,  on  the  other  hand, 
happen  to  be  the  tall  man  ;  when  your  short  opponent 
has  come  in  close  to  you,  drop  your  arms  a  little,  now 


\ 


IN-FIGHTING  91 

that  your  long  reach  is  of  no  avail,  keep  your  elbows 
bent  well  in  front  of  you  so  as  to  protect  the  body, 
and  strive  by  the  force  of  your  blows  on  the  upper 
part  of  your  adversary's  face  to  push  him  away.^ 

In  order  to  get  as  much  power  as  possible  behind 
your  blows,  you  should  swing  your  shoulders.  It  is 
necessary,  for  in-fighting  to  be  effective,  to  keep  your 
arms  rather  closer  together  than  is  usual  in  long  range 
boxing ;  and  to  hit  quite  straight,  particularly  at  the 
body.  Your  jaw  is  more  or  less  protected  by  carry- 
ing your  head  low  with  your  chin  on  your  chest.  By 
bringing  your  head  down  when  attacking  your 
opponent's  body,  you  give  him  good  opportunities 
for  upper-cuts,  though  not  for  very  hard  ones.  Your 
chin  will  be  safe  from  them,  but  your  nose  will  not. 
When  getting  away  after  a  sharp  rally  of  in-fighting 
you  should  cover  up  well  :  that  is  to  say,  hold 
both  fore-arms  rigid  and  vertical  in  front  of  your 
face  about  six  inches  away.  At  the  same  time  bend 
forward  a  little.  Your  elbows  will  protect  your  body, 
and  as  you  step  back  your  antagonist  will  be  unable 
to  touch  your  jaw. 

"Covering  up"  in  this  way  is  useful  sometimes 
when  breaking  ground  away  from  an  opponent  who 
has  just  given  you  a  severe  blow  on  the  side  of  the 
chin,  enough  to  daze  you  a  little  without  actually 
bringing  you  to  the  floor.  The  most  useful  blow  to 
be  delivered  when  in-fighting  is  a  short,  sharp,  jolting 
one  which  only  travels  six  or  eight  inches  to  your 
antagonist  s  jaw.  Repeated  again  and  again  this  is  a 
very  punishing  hit.  And  a  systematic  attack  on  his 
body,  preferably  at  the  ''mark,"  is  very  wearing. 


92  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

But  the  chief  objection  to  in-fighting  is  that  it 
leads  so  easily  to  clinching  and  is  spoiled  by  it. 
As  clinching  has,  nowadays,  assumed  rather  an 
alarming  aspect,  it  should  be  particularly  explained. 
A  clinch  may  be  unavoidable :  and  it  is  then, 
figuratively  speaking,  the  embrace  of  each  boxer 
by  the  other.  You  may  literally  fall  into  your 
opponent's  arms,  or — especially  when  in-fighting — 
your  arms  may  become  hopelessly  entangled  and 
your  instinct  tells  you  to  hold  tight  and  start  fair. 
Instinct  in  this  case  should  be  severely  subdued. 
Immediately  you  find  yourself  in  holds,  break  away. 
As  a  rule,  in  amateur  boxing  this  should  be  quite 
spontaneous — each  man  springing  back  readily, 
trusting  his  opponent  not  to  hit  him  while  he  is 
doing  so. 

It  is  more  usual,  however,  in  practice  for  each 
man  to  put  his  gloves  on  his  opponent's  shoulders 
and  separate  by  a  mutual  push.  If  you  do  not 
break  of  your  own  accord,  the  referee  will  very 
quickly  tell  you  to  do  so.  Generally,  an  experienced 
referee  (who  talks  as  little  as  he  possibly  can)  will 
wait  for  a  moment  to  give  you  the  chance  of  getting 
away  of  your  own  accord.  When  your  opponent 
deliberately  holds  your  arm  or  body  to  prevent 
you  from  hitting,  you  should  place  the  palm  of  your 
free  hand  on  his  chin,  not  hitting  him,  but  firmly 
pressing  his  head  back,  so  that  he  must  let  go. 
And  so  long  as  he  holds  you,  and  you  do  not  hold 
him,  you  are  at  liberty  to  inflict  what  punishment 
you  can. 

There  is  nothing  which   so   utterly  ruins  boxing 


IN-FIGHTING  93 

from  the  spectacular  point  of  view,  and  from  the 
true  boxer  s  own  point  of  view,  as  clinching.  It  is 
the  most  virulent  spoil-sport  that  ever  tried  the 
patience  of  a  good  referee.  **  A  man  shall  not  profit 
by  his  own  laches,"  says  a  legal  maxim  :  and  that 
is  why  clinching  and  holding  to  avoid  punishment 
is  so  essentially  unfair.  If  a  man  is  hit,  it  is  because 
he  has  failed  to  guard  or  avoid  the  blow :  if  he 
doesn't  land  a  blow,  it  is  because  he  is  not  skilful 
or  quick  enough.  Therefore  further  punishment  in 
the  former  case,  and  in  the  latter — retaliation,  is 
only  what  he  deserves.  He  should  not  be  allowed 
to  avoid  it  by  breaking  a  rule.  But  that  is  exactly 
what  an  increasing  number  of  boxers  do.  They  are, 
let  us  say,  getting  rather  more  than  they  bargained 
for ;  or  are  hotly  pursued,  or  driven  into  a  corner ; 
and  in  order  not  to  be  hurt  any  more,  they  clutch 
hold  of  their  antagonist,  seeking  to  baulk  his  hitting. 
That  is  unfair. 

And  that  is  why  boxing  as  a  sport  Is  radically 
different  from  boxing  as  a  means  of  self-defence. 
If  in  a  serious  row  you  have  to  defend  yourself, 
you  will  certainly  do  anything  in  your  power  to 
avoid  punishment :  although  incidentally,  clinching, 
or  indeed  any  fighting  at  close  quarters,  is  not  to 
be  recommended  with  the  hooligan  type  of  ruffian. 
In  a  sport,  you  must  not  take  certain  obvious, 
physical  advantages.  If  clinching  were  allowed,  in 
many  cases  there  would  be  practically  no  hitting 
at  all.  Two  men  would  shake  hands,  lead,  fall  into 
each  other  s  arms  and  display  all  the  symptoms  of 
acute  affection   until  the   call   of  time.     If  a   boxer 


94  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

means  to  clinch  nothing  short  of  disqualification 
will  stop  him.  If  he,  as  a  beginner,  falls  uncon- 
sciously into  the  habit,  he  should  be  reminded  of  it 
every  time  that  he  puts  on  the  gloves,  and  his 
instructor  will  do  well  to  associate  the  practice  in 
his  mind  with  a  severe  dig  in  the  ribs ;  just  as  one 
tries  to  couple  the  ideas  of  a  chicken  yard  and  a 
whip  in  the  mind  of  a  puppy. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  boxers'  proximity  to  each 
other  how  easy  it  is  for  in-fighting  to  degenerate  into 
a  series  of  clinches.  But  there  is  not  the  smallest 
need  for  it.  So  long  as  both  men  continue  to  hit 
and  guard  cleanly  and  mean  it,  so  long — in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten — will  they  keep  separate. 

Clinching  is,  moreover,  not  only  an  unfair  means 
of  defence,  but  has  its  nefarious  uses  on  the  other 
side.  If  you  have  worked  your  man  into  a  corner 
and  he — not  trying  to  side-step  or  slip  past  you — 
tries  boldly  to  fight  his  way  out  by  sheer  force,  it 
is  manifestly  inexcusable  to  stop  him  by  holding  him 
instead  of  bearing  the  brunt  of  his  attack. 


CHAPTER  IX 
KNOCK-OUT   BLOWS 

"  A  less  degree  of  art  will  tell  far  more  than  a  considerably  greater 
quantity  of  strength." — Boxiana. 

ANY  blow  which  causes  a  man  to  fall  so  that 
he  is  unable  to  rise  within  a  reasonable  time 
is  called  a  Knock-Out  Blow.  By  far  the 
most  common  is  that  given  with  either  hand  upon 
the  point  of  the  jaw.  The  word  ** point"  is  mislead- 
ing. It  is  not  the  extreme  end  of  the  chin  that  is 
meant,  but  the  jawbone  from  an  inch  to  an  inch  and 
a  half  on  either  side  of  it.  Delivered  higher  up 
towards  the  ear,  the  blow  is  not  so  effective, 
because  the  leverage  is  less.  The  sensations  caused 
by  a  blow  of  this  kind  which  does  not  succeed  in 
bringing  a  man  down  is  one  of  sudden  shock,  rather 
than  of  actual  pain  ;  and  everything  appears  misty 
for  a  few  seconds.  A  more  severe  blow  intensifies 
the  shock,  and  the  man  who  receives  it  staggers  and 
falls.  It  may  be  taken  as  a  dependable  rule  that 
when  he  falls  forward,  he  is  knocked  out. 

The  physiological  causes  for  these  results  are — 
without  going  into  elaborate  medical  details — as 
follows : — The  points  of  the  jawbone  fit,  on  either 
side  of  the  head,  into  a  socket.     Immediately  behind 

95 


96  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

that  is  the  temporal  bone,  which  is  very  thin.  A 
blow,  then,  on  either  side  of  the  jaw  levers  up  the 
point  on  to  this  thin  bone  and  gives  a  shock  to 
the  base  of  the  brain,  greater  or  less  according  to 
the  power  behind  the  blow  and  the  amount  of 
leverage.  The  effect  is  instantaneous — though  fleet- 
ing— concussion  and  paralysis. 

A  cross-counter  is  the  best  means  of  producing 
this  result,  for  the  arm  of  the  striker  moves  at 
right  angles  to  the  objective,  which  gives  the  full 
leverage  to  the  blow. 

There  is,  or  was,  a  notable  boxer  in  America 
who  was  known  as  the  iron-jawed  man,  because 
nobody  ever  succeeded  in  knocking  him  out.  It 
is,  however,  probable  that  he  owed  his  invulnerability 
not  to  the  strength  of  his  jaw,  but  to  the  abnormal 
thickness  of  his  skull. 

The  same  rule  applies  to  hits  on  the  temple  and 
the  back  of  the  ear,  both  of  which — if  hard  enough — 
may  knock  a  man  out.  A  very  severe  blow  on  the 
back  of  the  head  gives  a  shock  to  the  brain  from 
back  to  front — a  contre-coup ;  and  this,  too,  though 
cases  of  it  are  rare,  may  upset  a  man. 

The  blow  on  the  **  mark  "  comes  next  in  import- 
ance. It  is  not  very  often  that  this  alone  knocks  a 
man  out.  An  experienced  and  hardened  boxer, 
especially  one  with  well  developed  abdominal  muscles, 
learns  never  to  expose  his  body  without  contracting 
them  ;  so  that  the  effect  of  a  blow  is  greatly  minimized. 
But  a  severe  blow  on  the  "mark,"  or  a  series  of  them, 
is  bound  to  weaken  a  man  :  whilst  a  single  upper-cut 
rightly  placed  there  is  almost  sure  to  bring  his  head 


KNOCK-OUT  BLOWS  97 

forward.  If  his  muscles  are  not  tightly  set  and  the 
blow  is  particularly  hard,  the  boxer  who  receives  it 
gasps  for  breath.  This  is  a  common  enough  sensa- 
tion to  the  majority  of  people,  boxers  or  not.  Any 
sudden  knock  just  beneath  the  breast-bone  will  wind 
you.  To  make  it  more  effective  in  boxing  it  should 
be  directed  slightly  upwards. 

The  blow  causes  a  shock  to  the  diaphragm  or 
midriff,  and  it  is  the  consequent  paralysis  of  this 
which  causes  the  condition  usually  described  as  **  being 
winded." 

The  diaphragm  is  a  huge  shield  of  muscle  dividing 
the  chest  from  the  stomach.  And  from  its  proximity 
an  exceptionally  hard  blow  on  the  '*  mark  "  may  give  a 
shock  to  the  heart  also. 

This  may  also  be  accounted  for  by  the  shock  to 
the  large  nerve-centre  known  as  the  solar  plexus. 
But  doctors  have  yet  to  make  up  their  minds  quite 
completely  as  to  the  various  secondary  causes  and 
primary  effects  in  the  case  of  knock-out  blows. 

In  an  issue  of  the  Sportsman  (October  1907) 
Professor  Osborne,  of  Melbourne  University,  is  quoted 
on  the  subject. 

"  If  a  blow  was  delivered  on  the  point  of  the  chin," 
he  said,  ''the  impact  was  transmitted  to  the  temporal 
bone,  and  from  that  to  the  semi-auricular  canals, 
which  were  the  organs  of  equilibrium.  When  the 
fluids  that  these  canals  contained  were  shaken  violently, 
the  recipient  momentarily  lost  all  sense  of  balance, 
and,  as  a  direct  result,  fell  to  the  ground  a  helpless 
mass  of  bone  and  muscle. 

"In  the  solar  plexus  knock-out,  the  vagus  nerve, 
7 


98  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

which  was  affected,  slowed  down  the  heart  pulsations, 
and  the  recipient  of  the  blow  became  faint.  But  this 
blow  was  not  dangerous  except  where  the  heart  was 
affected.  Injuries,  and  occasionally  serious  ones,  were 
received  in  boxing,  but,  as  a  form  of  sport,  it  was 
probably  not  so  dangerous  as  cricket.  It  was  certainly 
not  so  dangerous  as  the  Japanese  ju-jitsu,  in  which 
fatal  results  could  be  produced  with  great  ease,  and 
was,  on  that  account,  never  likely  to  take  its  place  as 
a  regular  sport." 

But  primary  causes  and  secondary  effects  are  really 
all  that  the  boxer  needs  to  grasp.  If  he  gets  a  hard 
blow  on  the  jaw  he  goes  down,  and  most  probably 
loses  the  fight :  if  he  gets  a  hard  blow  on  the  "  mark," 
he  is  winded.  The  intermediary  occurrences  are  of 
profounder  interest  to  scientists  in  medicine  than  to 
scientists  in  pugilism. 

The  actual  heart  blow,  delivered  higher  up,  is 
quite  recognized  in  boxing,  and  from  it  deaths  have 
occurred ;  but  not  in  the  case  of  perfectly  sound  men. 
Before  any  kind  of  competition  or  contest  a  boxer 
should  be  medically  examined.  No  doctor  will  pass 
a  man  or  boy  who  shows  the  smallest  sign  of  a 
weak  or  enlarged  heart.  Indeed  no  one  should  ever 
attempt  to  box  at  all  who  has  any  doubts  on  the 
point.  But  a  hard  blow  over  the  heart  will  sometimes 
knock  a  healthy  man  out  without  injuring  him.  A 
severe  dig  in  the  ribs  causes  a  sickening  sensation 
too,  but  will  not  stop  a  man,  unless,  of  course,  it  is 
positively  herculean  and  given  with  bare  knuckles, 
in  which  case  a  couple  of  ribs  may  be  driven  in.  But 
a  succession  of  hard  blows  on  the  ribs — particularly 


KNOCK-OUT  BLOWS  99 

those  on  the  left  side  near  the  heart — will  wear  a  man 
out.  The  left  side  ribs  are  the  principal  objective 
for  the  right-hand  body  blow. 

The  majority  of  deaths  in  boxing  have  been 
caused  by  cerebral  haemorrhage,  a  condition  which — 
without  a  blow  as  the  immediate  cause — is  known  as 
apoplexy.  It  is  very  rare,  and  is  usually  brought 
about  far  more  by  the  fall,  the  striking  of  the  head 
upon  the  floor,  than  by  the  actual  blow  of  a  gloved  fist. 

In  several  cases  deaths  from  boxing  have  resulted 
from  the  strain  of  sudden  training  following  on  de- 
bauchery. A  man  who  is  a  hard  drinker  goes  into 
training  for  a  contest.  The  bottle  is  kept  from  him 
sometimes  by  main  force.  His  heart  lacks  the 
stimulant,  and  when  a  sudden  and  severe  strain  is 
put  upon  it  he  succumbs. 

And  then  there  is  the  kidney  blow.  This  is 
usually  dealt  with  the  right  hand  during  in-fighting. 
It  is  extremely  painful  and  leaves  behind  it  a  feeling 
of  nausea.  In  the  preponderance  of  cases  it  does  no 
real  injury.  At  the  same  time  instances  of  a  bruised 
or  ruptured  kidney  have  been  known. 

Hitting  your  opponent  on  the  back  does  not 
seem,  somehow,  to  conform  to  the  best  traditions. 
There  are  so  many  other  places  where  you  can  hurt 
him  more  profitably  ;  or,  if  necessary,  more  speedily 
disable  him.  The  kidney  blow  is  a  comparatively 
new  invention,  and  up  to  quite  recent  times  was 
exclusively  practised  by  professionals.  In  late  years 
some  instructors  have  been  teaching  it  to  amateur 
pupils.  But  now  by  the  rules  of  the  National  Sport- 
ing Club,  a  referee  has  power  to  disqualify  a  man 


lOO  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

for  using  it.  Arbitrarily  to  interfere  with  the  method 
of  a  sport  is  to  mangle  and  maim  it  as  a  rule.  But 
no  possible  harm  can  be  done  to  boxing  by  disallowing 
the  kidney  blow.  A  referee  has  no  difficulty  in  seeing 
when  a  man  is  trying  to  give  it,  and  he  can  warn 
him  accordingly. 

A  knock-out  is  a  decisive  end  to  any  battle,  but 
it  is  not  always  an  ideal  one.  If  two  men  have  been 
boxing  for  a  reasonable  time,  and  one  has  already 
shown  himself  the  better,  and  then  knocks  out  his 
antagonist,  the  matter  is  conclusively  settled.  But 
where  a  knock-out  occurs  almost  at  once,  in  the  first 
or  second  round,  a  genuine  test  of  their  respective 
powers  has  not  been  made.  The  carelessness  of  a 
moment  on  the  part  of  one  man,  or  the  other  s  fluke, 
are  not  to  be  regarded  as  the  final  determination  of 
their  endurance,  strength  and  skill.  In  amateur  com- 
petitions of  three  rounds  it  is  much  more  satisfactory 
to  see  the  men  **go  all  the  way,"  or  for  the  encounter 
to  be  curtailed  by  a  knock-out  only  to  the  extent  of  a 
minute  or  so 

But  it  is  impossible  to  lay  down  the  law  about  it. 
If  a  knock-out  is  prohibited,  it  is  difficult  to  estimate 
to  what  lengths  the  delicacy  and  debility  of  the 
sport  may  go.  As  suggested  above,  the  proscription 
of  one  particular  blow  which  has  no  result  indis- 
solubly  linked  up  with  the  sport  will  do  no  harm  ; 
but  to  cut  out  a  whole  class  of  blows,  whose  result 
is  fundamentally  connected  with  (at  least)  the  practical 
purposes  of  that  sport,  would  be  disastrous.  You 
might  as  well  forbid  a  particular  swimming  stroke  in 
playing  water  polo. 


KNOCK-OUT  BLOWS       '"  '  '  loi 

Besides,  in  order  to  stop  knock-out  blows,  you 
would  have  to  prohibit  all  hard  hitting.  And  then 
boxing  would  be  a  miserable  farce.  Occasionally  it 
does  happen  that  a  knock-out  crosses  the  path  of 
sporting  justice ;  but  if  the  men  concerned  are 
genuinely  anxious  for  a  real  test,  and  neither  are 
satisfied  with  the  result  of  the  first  encounter,  a 
second  can  generally  be  arranged. 

When  a  pair  of  boxers  in  a  competition  are  very 
unequally  matched,  the  better  man  should  win  as 
speedily  as  possible.  It  is  far  better  for  the  poorer 
boxer  to  be  finished  off  quickly  with  one  or  two 
prodigious  blows  than  to  be  kept  on  his  feet,  and 
punished  and  hurt.  Of  course,  if  his  conqueror  is 
quite  certain  of  him,  he  can  play  with  him  during 
the  three  rounds.  But,  being  a  competition,  most 
boxers  in  this  instance  would  feel  it  ignominious  to 
be  played  with.  If  you  are,  for  the  sake  of  practice, 
having  a  spar  with  a  man  who  could  eat  you,  as  the 
saying  goes,  you  don't  want  to  be  knocked  about. 
In  a  competition  each  man  should  do  his  best.  Par- 
ticularly is  this  the  case  with  the  better  man  who 
has  to  go  through  one  or  more  other  heats  in  the 
course  of  an  evening.  He  cannot  afford  to  tire 
himself  by  being  kind.  He  should  win  as  quickly 
as  he  can  and  so  save  himself.  And  besides  no 
man  can  ever  be  quite  certain.  No  sport  is  so 
utterly  fortuitous  as  boxing.  And  than  too  much 
confidence  there  is  only  one  thing  which  is  worse, 
and  that  is  lack  of  it. 

You  can  often  tell  when  a  man  has  received  a 
nasty  hit  on  the  jaw  which  has  just  failed  to  bring 


102  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

him  to  the  floor.  His  right  foot  jumps  and  spas- 
modically taps  the  ground  two  or  three  times.  The 
movement  is  nervous  and  quite  involuntary.  Fortu- 
nately, if  you  are  hit  on  the  jaw  and  do  that,  you 
can  generally  disguise  the  fact  that  you  are  hurt ; 
and  your  antagonist,  with  his  eyes  on  yours,  will 
not  see  that  tell-tale  foot.  And  in  another  moment 
or  two  the  immediate  danger  from  weakness  will 
have  passed  off.  In  the  same  way  a  man  who  is 
knocked  out  completely  may  twitch  and  move  his 
legs  or  one  of  them.  This  movement  also  is  involun- 
tary and  not — as  you  are  apt  to  think  when  watching 
— an  effort  to  rise. 

If  you  hit  a  man  on  the  jaw  at  the  side  of  the 
ring  so  that  he  falls  half  over  the  ropes,  it  is  better 
to  regard  him  as  *'down,"  and  to  stand  away  until 
the  referee  expressly  tells  you  to  box  on.  If  your 
opponent  is  done  for,  he  will  generally  slip  to  the 
floor. 

An  amusing  instance  of  a  knock-out  blow  on  the 
"mark"  occurred  some  years  ago  at  one  of  the  out- 
lying theatres  of  London.  The  play  in  question  was 
one  in  which  a  boxing  match  takes  place  on  the 
stage ;  and  nightly  the  hero  had  to  knock  his 
antagonist  out  of  time.  This  antagonist  throughout 
the  run  of  the  piece  was  a  retired  pro,  a  good  fellow 
and  a  fine  boxer.  During  a  long  tour  he  had 
managed  to  teach  the  hero  a  good  deal.  One  night, 
however,  the  latter's  place  was  taken  by  his  under- 
study, a  man  who  fancied  himself — not  without  a 
certain  amount  of  reason — as  a  boxer.  It  was  the 
pro's  business  to  fight  one  lively  round,  and  in  the 


KNOCK-OUT  BLOWS  103 

middle  of  the  next  to  fall — dramatically  rather  than 
naturally — before  a  tremendous  swing.  Now  the 
understudy  had  a  grudge  against  him,  and  the  first 
round  was  no  mere  exhibition  spar,  and  a  critical 
audience  hugely  appreciated  the  difference.  The 
new  hero  was  stretching  the  bruiser  to  his  utmost 
capacity. 

**  I'll  have  to  hit  yer,"  the  latter  kept  saying,  **  Til 
have  to  hit  yer.     Go  slow,  can't  you  ?  " 

But  the  understudy,  thinking  that  this  was  a 
good  opportunity  of  hurting  the  man,  pressed  him 
more  than  ever.  The  bruiser,  having  no  desire  really 
to  be  knocked  out,  and  feeling,  justly  enough,  that 
his  opponent  was  taking  advantage  of  him,  thought 
he  would  steady  the  actor  by  a  tap  in  the  wind. 
He  did  not  intend  it  to  be  more  than  a  tap, 
but  the  man  ran  on  to  it.  His  hands  dropped  and 
there  was  an  agonized  expression  on  his  face.  The 
pro  instantly  saw  that  the  action  of  the  play  was 
on  the  verge  of  being  spoilt.  With  the  presence  of 
mind  that  boxers  have,  he  caught  his  man  as  he  was 
falling  and,  hugging  him  in  his  arms,  gave  a  fine 
display  of  clinching.  "  For  God's  sake  call  Time," 
he  whispered  to  the  super,  who  was  holding  the 
watch,  as  he  staggered  with  his  man  towards  the 
ropes.  The  super  rose  to  the  occasion.  In  the  next 
round  a  very  limp  hero  sparred  gingerly  for  an 
opening,  and  his  opponent  fell  with  a  loud  crash  as 
soon  as  he  decently  could. 


CHAPTER  X 
TRAINING 

"  By  training,  the  mental  faculties  are  also  improved.    The  attention 
is  more  ready,  and  the  perception  more  acute." — Sir  J.  Sinclair. 

IN  no  issue  of  athletics  has  common  sense  been 
called  upon  to  fight  with  prejudice  so  sternly  as 
in  the  matter  of  training.  In  the  early  days  of 
the  prize-ring  there  was  no  training  to  speak  of. 
Then  Captain  Barclay,  the  famous  walker  and  patron 
of  boxers,  invented  a  system,  and  used  it  with  ex- 
cellent effect  upon  Tom  Cribb  for  his  famous  battle 
with  Molineaux,  the  black.  This  system  appears  to 
have  consisted  mainly  in  walking  immense  distances 
every  day  at  a  terrific  pace.  Cribb,  who  started  at 
sixteen  stone,  lost  over  one-sixth  of  that  weight 
during  his  preparation.  And  in  his  case  the  re- 
duction in  bulk  was  beneficial  enough.  He  was 
what  is  known  as  a  beefy  man ;  and  the  fat  was 
sweated  off  him,  and  there  remained  upon  his  bones 
the  huge  muscles  for  which  he  was  renowned,  un- 
encumbered by  the  burdening  profusion  of  flesh. 
Barclay  was  a  first-rate  amateur,  and  was  accustomed 
to  putting  on  the  gloves  with  all  the  best  bruisers 
of  his  day.  Indeed  a  youngster  beginning  his  career 
in  the  ring  regarded  a  successful  trial  with  Captain 


TRAINING  105 

Barclay  as  the  first  stepping-stone  to  success.  He 
knew  then,  from  his  own  experience,  what  was  needed 
in  the  way  of  training.  Of  course,  his  system  has 
been  superseded  now,  but  it  acted  very  well  with  the 
sturdy  champions  of  the  past. 

The  chief  difficulty  in  the  path  of  perfect  training 
is  the  fact  that  people  have  been  absolutely  unable 
to  grasp  that  one  man's  meat  is  another  man's  poison. 
Just  as  it  is  absurd  to  expect  a  class  of  twenty  boys 
to  learn  their  lessons  by  precisely  the  same  method 
(though  things  being  as  they  are  it  can  scarcely  be 
bettered),  so  it  is  ridiculous  to  train  a  team  or  a 
crew  upon  the  same  lines.  It  is  impossible  to 
suppose  that  batches  of  eight  or  fifteen  men  can 
have  severally  the  same  constitutions  to  be  treated 
in  the  same  way  by  rule  of  thumb.  And  the  training 
of  the  body  does  not  present  the  same  difficulties 
in  this  respect  as  the  training  of  the  mind.  Never- 
theless, there  are  still  plenty  of  people  who  do  try 
to  train  a  team  in  a  universal  manner ;  still  those 
who  believe  that  training  is  a  fixed  and  immovable 
process,  to  be  applied  similarly  to  rowing  and  running 
and  football  and  boxing.  And  there  are  still  many 
folk  who  believe  that  the  principal  object  of  training 
is  the  reduction  of  weight. 

But  of  course  each  sport  should  have  its  own  and 
especial  preparation,  and  each  man  must  pay  attention 
to  his  own  peculiar  organism ;  and  it  may  be  taken 
as  a  definite  rule  that  the  loss  of  weight  after  genuinely 
superfluous  flesh  has  been  removed  is  thoroughly  bad 
and  unwholesome. 

There  is  no  training  for  boxing  like  boxing  itself. 


io6  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

A  hard  encounter  with  the  gloves  searches  out  weak 
places  in  your  wind  hitherto  unsuspected.  A  man 
who  is  in  perfect  condition  for  football  or  for  running 
long  distances  finds  himself  hopelessly  "beat"  at  the 
end  of  three  minutes'  boxing.  So  when  training  for 
some  competition  or  match,  do  as  much  sparring  as 
you  can. 

The  kind  of  training  you  are  to  undergo  pre- 
paratory to  a  competition  must  depend  not  only  on 
your  physical  capabilities,  and  disabilities,  but  upon 
your  occupation.  The  professional  boxer  gives  his 
whole  time  to  training.  Very  few  amateurs  can — 
so  few,  indeed,  that  they  can  be  left  out  of  the 
question. 

In  order  that  some  sort  of  scheme  may  be  laid  down 
to  help  people,  if  possible,  to  get  into  good  condition  for 
a  specific  encounter,  it  will  be  best  to  classify  boxers 
roughly  by  the  kind  of  life  they  ordinarily  lead,  and  to 
deal  separately  with  each  group.  There  are  boys  at 
school,  men  with  daily  occupation,  and  men  without 
it,  undergraduates  at  the  universities,  and  soldiers  and 
sailors  (who  will  be  discussed  separately  in  the 
chapters  on  Service  Boxing). 

It  will,  of  course,  be  understood  that  many  of  the 
suggestions  given  in  the  ensuing  paragraphs  will  over- 
lap. That  is  to  say,  exercises  that  are  useful  to  boys 
are  equally  useful  to  men,  sometimes  in  rather  larger 
doses  ;  and,  of  course,  the  remarks  about  punching  the 
ball  and  skipping  apply  equally  to  any  one  of  what- 
ever age  or  occupation  who  is  entering  for  a  competi- 
tion. Individual  judgment  must  be  used.  It  is  im- 
possible to  cater  for  everyone,  and  these  suggestions 


AVOIDING   A   STRAIGHT   LEFT   AND   REPLYING   WITH   A   LEFT   HAND 

CROSS-COUNTER 

{see  page  gb) 


TRAINING  107 

on  the  subject  of  training  are  only  intended  as  general 
hints  which  are  commonly  found  useful. 

For  boys  at  school  very  little  special  training 
should  be  necessary.  The  regularity  of  their  lives — 
compulsory  games  and  the  fact  that  boys  are  usually 
taking  exercise  of  some  sort  without  any  set  purpose 
— is  quite  sufficient  to  keep  them  fit.  But  it  is  just 
as  well  to  do  something  extra  daily  for  the  improve- 
ment of  that  particular  variety  of  wind  proper  to 
boxing.  At  most  public  schools  you  will  be  unable  to 
give  very  much  time  to  your  special  training,  unless 
you  are  going  to  take  part  in  the  championships  at 
Aldershot,  when  a  certain  latitude  in  respect  of  other 
pastimes  is  given  by  the  authorities.  But  you  will 
generally  find  time  to  box  several  rounds  with  your 
instructor  and  various  sparring  partners,  which  is  the 
greatest  concern,  and  to  skip  and  use  the  punching- 
ball,  which  respectively  come  next  in  importance. 

With  regard  to  the  instructor,  you  will  have,  of 
course,  no  choice.  At  the  majority  of  schools  he  is 
an  old  soldier,  inclined  to  teach  boxing  by  numbers 
(as  though  it  were  a  species  of  drill),  and  to  resent  any 
methods  that  are  not  his  methods,  or  those  of  the 
particular  army  champion  whom  he  most  favours. 
But  Tommy  Atkins  is  a  good  man  of  the  slap-bang, 
mechanical  sort,  and  he  will  generally  take  a  deal  of 
beating.  With  regard  to  your  other  sparring  partners 
— and  this  applies  equally  to  all  who  are  going  in  for 
a  competition — try  to  get  as  much  variety  of  style  to 
encounter  as  you  possibly  can  ;  never  box  with  a  man 
or  boy  whom  you  are  likely  to  meet  in  the  competition 
(you  may  learn  his  tricks,  but  he  will  also  learn  yours, 


io8  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

and  in  any  case  it  is  better  to  come  fresh  to  the  real 
combat),  and  do  a  good  deal  of  your  practice  sparring 
with  men  bigger  and  better  than  yourself.  It  is  a 
very  good  plan  always  to  spar  for  a  specified  length  of 
time — that  is  to  say,  in  proper  rounds  with  a  minute's 
rest  in  between  each,  but  to  make  the  rounds  rather 
longer  than  they  will  be  in  the  competition,  and  one 
or  two  more  of  them.  In  this  way  you  will  be  pre- 
pared for  a  greater  strain  than  you  will  actually  be 
called  upon  to  undergo  ;  or  perhaps  it  would  be  better 
to  say  that  the  extra  exertion  of  actual  combat  will  be 
— in  part  at  least — balanced  by  the  longer  round 
in  practice. 

Always  bear  in  mind  that  whilst  there  are  in 
amateur  competitions  only  three  rounds,  these  three 
must  be  fought  at  top  speed. 

A  first-rate  exercise  for  what  I  have  called  the 
boxing  wind  is  skipping,  a  very  convenient  form  of 
exercise  too,  because  you  can  skip  anywhere  and  at 
any  odd  moment.  Five  minutes  t  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  skipping  before  your  tub  in  the  morning  is  a 
good  way  of  beginning^the  day.  At  any  time  when 
you  are  skipping  you  should  begin  easily — "single" 
at  first,  gradually  increasing  the  pace,  finishing  with  a 
short  burst  of  the  ''double,"  with  both  feet  together. 
Towards  the  end  of  your  period  of  training,  when 
your  condition  requires  very  little  improvement,  try 
and  get  the  greatest  possible  number  of  revolutions 
every  minute,  for,  say,  two  or  three  minutes.  And 
repeat  this  at  intervals  between  your  bouts  of  sparring. 

Punching  the  ball  is  quite  a  sport  by  itself.  All 
manner  of  skilled  tricks  can  be  played  by  the  expert, 


TRAINING  109 

and  before  now  they  have  justified  themselves  on  the 
music  hall  stage.  For  the  purposes  of  training,  how- 
ever, there  is  not  the  smallest  need  to  be  elaborate. 
To  hit  the  ball  again  and  again  in  rapid  succession  in 
order  to  improve  the  speed  of  your  deliveries  requires 
a  certain  amount  of  practice.  But  there  is  really  no 
need  to  use  more  than  the  ordinary  blows. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  punching  balls,  but  the 
most  useful  one  is  pear-shaped,  rather  larger  than  a 
Rugby  football.  It  should  hang  by  a  stout  strap  from 
the  middle  of  a  solid  platform.  This  last  must  be 
securely  rigged  up  by  means  of  an  iron  bracket  on  a 
wall.  The  strap  should  be  fastened  to  a  strong  swivel 
on  a  short  chain,  which  should  in  turn  pass  through 
the  middle  of  the  platform  and  be  prevented  from 
falling  through  by  a  large  nut.  If  the  leather  itself 
comes  into  contact  with  the  sides  of  the  hole,  the  con- 
stant friction  is  apt  to  wear  it  through  very  soon. 

The  worst  point  about  a  punching  ball  is  noise. 
It  should  therefore  be  put  in  a  place  apart,  prefer- 
ably the  gymnasium  or  club-rooms  which  you  use  for 
sparring.  When  anyone^is  working  hard  with  it  there 
is  a  thunderous  devil's  tatoo  which  is  positively  deafen- 
ing. The  strap  from  which  the  ball  hangs  should  be 
double,  with  a  buckle,  so  that  a  tall  man  or  a  little 
man  may  adjust  it  to  his  own  height.  You  should 
regard  the  ball  as  your  opponent's  head,  and  the 
middle  of  it  should  be  on  a  level  with  your  eyes. 

For  anyone  already  in  fairly  good  condition,  a  hard 
five  minutes'  round  with  the  ball  is  generally  quite 
sufficient  at  a  time.  Begin  with  the  straight  left, 
squaring  up  to  the  ball  as  though  it  were  a  man,  com- 


no  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

ing  forward  with  the  left  foot,  and  getting  away  out  of 
distance  immediately  after  you  have  landed  your  blow. 
Then  try  straight  lefts  and  rights  alternately  in  quick 
succession,  then  left  and  right  hook-hits,  standing  still 
before  the  ball  and  sending  it  to  and  fro  at  right  angles 
to  your  body.  You  must  learn  to  catch  it  on  the  first 
rebound,  and  this,  if  your  hitting  is  hard,  will  require 
considerable  speed.  Lastly,  come  quite  close  up  to 
the  ball  and  practise  right  hand  cross-counters,  your 
elbow  well  raised  as  you  hit ;  the  impact  between 
your  fist  and  the  ball  taking  place  when  the  latter  is 
just  opposite  your  eyes. 

Old  gloves  should  be  worn  for  work  with  the 
ball,  or  else  specially  light  ones  made  for  the 
purpose.  Since,  however,  you  need  to  become  as 
accustomed  as  possible  to  the  eight  ounce  glove  with 
which  you  will  ultimately  do  battle,  the  former  is  the 
more  useful.  It  is  a  pity  though  to  use  new  gloves, 
as  the  contact  of  leather  and  leather  is  apt  to  roughen 
the  surface  and  wear  them  out  before  their  time. 

In  order  to  practise  body  blows  a  heavy  sack 
should  be  used ;  but  not  used  too  much,  as  it  is  a 
little  prone  to  make  you  slow.  At  all  events  you 
cannot  learn  to  be  quick  with  it.  There  is  no 
rebound,  and  all  you  can  do,  having  hit  it  left  or 
right,  is  to  wait  for  the  sack  to  come  back  to  its 
vertical  position.  With  quick  alternate  half-arm 
blows,  you  can  come  close  and  continue  hitting 
when  the  sack  is  out  of  the  vertical.  When  doing 
this  a  certain  amount  of  skill  is  required  to  keep  the 
sack  in  front  of  you.  The  weight  of  it  is  upon  your 
glove  as  you  strike,  and  it  is  liable  to  swing  away 


TRAINING  1 1 1 

from  your  direct  hit.  The  sack  should  be  stuffed 
tightly  with  sawdust  (not  sand,  which  is  sometimes 
used,  and  which  is  liable  to  make  you  sprain  your 
wrist),  and  should  hang  from  an  iron  bracket  or  a 
beam.     No  platform  is  required  for  it. 

It  is  a  cardinal  mistake  ever  to  tire  yourself  out 
by  skipping,  or  punching  a  ball,  or  sparring.  You 
should  go  to  bed  at  night  thoroughly  and  whole- 
somely tired,  and  the  difference  between  that  and 
being  over  tired,  though  hard  to  define,  is  within 
the  experience  of  every  one. 

With  regard  to  the  simpler  forms  of  physical 
exercise  which  are  usually  taken  indoors,  but  which 
in  suitable  weather  would  be  much  more  useful  in 
the  open  air,  that  most  required  is  for  the  purpose 
of  developing  the  muscles  of  the  stomach.  There 
are  two  good  ways  of  doing  this — there  are  probably 
many  more,  but  these  will  suffice. 

The  first  is  to  stand  up  straight  and  then  with 
arms  upraised  above  your  head  to  bend  slowly,  very 
slowly  forward  until  you  touch  your  toes  with  the 
tips  of  your  fingers.  It  is  irksome  at  first,  especially 
in  the  case  of  grown  men  who  are  unaccustomed  to 
that  kind  of  exercise,  but  the  difficulty  soon  wears 
off,  and  it  is  worth  the  trouble. 

For  the  other  you  should  lie  flat  on  the  floor  or 
on  a  mattress,  and  raise  first  one  leg  and  then  the 
other;  and  after  a  turn  of  that,  both  together  until 
they  are  at  right  angles  to  your  body.  The  knees 
must  not  be  bent,  and  your  head  and  shoulders  should 
remain  rigidly  upon  the  floor.  And  the  chief  point 
in  both  these  exercises  is  that  they  should  be  under- 


112  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

taken  as  slowly  as  possible.  After  you  have  lifted 
up  your  legs  ten  or  a  dozen  times,  keep  them  straight 
upon  the  floor — the  heels  always  touching  the  ground 
— and  bend  your  body  upwards,  with  your  head 
straight  and  your  arms  at  your  side.  To  do  this 
perfectly  and  very  slowly  will  be  found  hard  work, 
but  it  is  quite  the  best  way  of  developing  the 
abdominal  muscles,  which  play  a  most  important 
part  in  boxing. 

A  certain  amount  of  dumb-bell  exercise  is  usually 
compulsory  amongst   the   smaller   boys  at  a   public 
school  ;    and  for  them,  provided  the  dumb-bells  are 
not   too   heavy,   it  is  necessary.     But  for  boxing  it 
should  be  remembered  that  the  muscles  of  the  arms 
are  of  secondary  importance.     Your  arms  should  be 
hard  and  wiry,   but   big  muscles  are   not   required. 
Fitzsimmons,  probably  the  most  famous,  and  in  his 
day  quite  the  best  boxer  alive,  was  never  remark- 
able for  any  show  of  muscle  save  on  his  back  and 
shoulders.     Nor  was  Jem   Belcher,  the  finest  of  all 
the  old  time  prize-fighters.     And  if  you  use  dumb- 
bells   much,    you    are    liable    to   develop    enormous 
showy  biceps  which  will  probably  be  out  of  proportion 
to  the  rest  of  your  muscular  system.     And  you  are 
liable  to  become  muscle-bound ;    that  is  to  say,   so 
over  developed  that  each  muscle  gets  in  the  way  of 
its  neighbour.     The  result  of  which  is  that  you  are 
slow.     Huge  muscles  in  the  arms  are  not  really  of 
much  use  to  anybody  save  professional  weight-lifters. 
Certainly,   when   training  for  boxing,   after  the  age 
of  seventeen  or   so,   exercises  with   dumb-bells   are 
not   advisable.      On   the   other   hand,    the   ordinary 


TRAINING  113 

movements  usually  gone  through  with  dumb-bells 
are  most  useful  without  them,  if  the  fists  are  tightly 
closed  and  the  muscles  exerted. 

The  question  of  diet  is  extremely  important. 
That  is  to  say,  it  is  extremely  important  not  to  diet 
yourself.  Ordinary  food  that  you  are  accustomed  to, 
eaten  with  the  appetite  that  exercise  and  health  give, 
is  always  the  best.  Of  course,  obviously  stodgy 
things  and  unnecessary  sweet  things  should  be 
avoided,  and  new  bread.  But  it  is  much  better 
never  to  play  tricks  with  your  food.  A  sudden 
change  to  a  Spartan  system  of  diet  will  probably 
put  you  out  of  sorts  and  do  far  more  harm  than 
good. 

For  boys,  then,  skipping  and  punching  the  ball 
are  the  only  really  necessary  aids  to  training  apart 
from  boxing  itself.  If  they  begin  their  special 
preparation  three  weeks  before  the  event,  that  will 
be  amply  sufficient. 

Those  whose  day  is  fully  occupied,  especially 
when  that  occupation  is  entirely  indoors,  are  severely 
handicapped.  But  even  these,  if  they  take  time 
about  it,  can  get  into  fine  and  hard  condition.  In 
this  case  the  training  must  be  real  training,  and 
should  begin  a  couple  of  months  or  at  least  six 
weeks  before  the  competition.  And  it  is  not  as 
though  one  combat  of  three  rounds  is  to  be  expected 
— there  may  be  four  or  five  upon  the  same  day,  in 
a  competition  where,  like  the  amateur  champion- 
ships, the  entries  are  numerous. 

First  of  all  comes  the  question  of  smoking.  It 
follows  as  a  matter  of  course  that  smoking  is  bad 
8 


114  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

for  your  wind,  particularly  if  you  inhale.  So  smoking 
must  be  cut  down.  At  the  same  time,  if  you  are 
a  heavy  smoker,  to  leave  off  abruptly  is  to  court 
disaster.  Of  course  people  say  that  you  should 
never  allow  a  habit  to  take  such  a  hold  upon  you 
that  you  cannot  drop  it  at  a  moment's  notice  :  perhaps 
you  should  not.  But  you  do.  And  the  strength  of 
mind  required  in  order  to  stop  smoking  suddenly 
and  entirely  is  considerably  less  than  that  required 
in  order  to  leave  it  off  gradually.  But  the  latter  is 
the  better  way.  You  don't  feel  the  deprivation  so 
much,  your  nerves  are  by  degrees  schooled  to  their 
bereavement.  So  little  by  little  you  can  leave  off 
smoking  altogether,  and  your  wind  will  benefit 
accordingly.  Men  have  been  known — professional 
champions  amongst  them — to  smoke  right  up  to  the 
day  of  battle  and  on  that  day  itself :  in  the  strictest 
moderation,  of  course — one  pipe  in  the  morning,  one 
in  the  evening.  The  individual  must  judge  for  himself. 
As  a  general  rule,  it  is  safest  to  say  that  smoking  should 
be  stopped.  And  where  men  spend  the  greater  part 
of  their  lives  indoors  it  should  certainly  be  stopped. 

For  these,  too,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  rise 
early,  and,  in  all  weathers,  to  get  fresh  air  and 
exercise  before  breakfast.  As  in  everything  else, 
begin  gradually — even  if  you  have  only  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  in  the  open  air.  Increase  this  little  by  little 
to  an  hour  :  not  more,  as  otherwise  you  will  start  the 
day  tired.  And  if  you  have  an  hour's  exercise  before 
breakfast,  you  should  eat  a  little  first.  A  cup  of  tea 
and  a  biscuit  is  suitable  and  sufficient ;  but  without 
that  you  will  be  tired  and  depressed ;  and  the  hateful 


TRAINING  1 1 5 

view  of  men  and  things — so  common  a  cause  of 
distress  to  yourself  and  those  about  you  before  you 
have  breakfasted — will  become  accentuated. 

Begin  your  early  morning  exercise  by  a  short, 
sharp  walk  in  your  ordinary  clothes.  Later  on,  when 
you  are  giving  more  time  to  it,  put  on  flannel 
trousers  and  a  sweater  under  your  jacket  and  go  for 
a  longer  walk  ;  once  in  every  two  hundred  yards  or  so 
taking  a  very  hard  sprint  of  fifty  yards.  On  coming 
in  again,  do  the  floor  exercises  already  explained 
before  having  your  bath  and  changing. 

In  order  to  get  variety  of  practice  in  its  most 
convenient  and  accessible  form,  you  should  belong  to 
a  club ;  and,  if  possible,  go  to  it  for  sparring,  and 
punching  the  ball  (if  you  have  not  got  one  at  home) 
at  least  twice  a  week.  On  the  other  nights  keep 
out  of  doors  as  much  as  possible.  Do  not  go  for 
long  runs ;  but,  as  in  the  morning,  sprint  for  a  short 
distance  now  and  again.  But  make  walking  your 
principal  exercise,  and,  if  you  can,  walk  where  there 
are  hills.  A  fast  walk  up  a  steep  hill  without 
bending  your  knees  will  discover  any  weak  points  in 
your  wind  remarkably  soon,  and  if  you  persist  in  it 
will  eradicate  them. 

When  it  comes  to  reducing  weight,  you  have  to 
be  very  careful  indeed.  The  five  standard  weights 
for  amateur  boxing  are  : — 

Bantam — not  exceeding  eight  stone  four  pounds. 

Feather — not  exceeding  nine  stone. 

Light — not  exceeding  ten  stone. 

Middle — not  exceeding  eleven  stone  four  pounds. 

Heavy — any  weight. 


ii6  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

The  rule  is  that  any  one  entering  for  a  competition 
should  weigh  on  the  day  thereof  in  their  fighting  kit, 
but  without  gloves.  It  very  often  happens  that  a 
man  is  a  few  pounds  over  one  of  these  weights.  He 
will  be  too  light  for  the  heavier  ;  and  this  is  especially 
obvious  where  a  man  of  eleven  stone  eight  pounds 
has  to  box  in  the  heavy-weights  with  a  man  of  fifteen 
stone.  It  seems  a  great  pity  that  he  should  not  reduce 
his  weight  and  go  in  for  the  middles.  It  entirely 
depends  on  the  individual.  If  he  is  fleshily  built, 
with  much  superfluous  flesh,  the  loss  of  four  pounds 
or  a  good  deal  more  will  not  only  fail  to  hurt  him, 
but  will  materially  improve  his  condition. 

But  where  a  man,  already  in  fine  and  hard  train- 
ing, lean  and  spare,  tries  to  get  his  weight  down  he 
is  bound  to  lose  strength.  When  he  tries  to  get  rid 
of  several  pounds  in  a  great  hurry  he  may  injure  his 
health  for  life.  It  is  certainly  very  hard  lines  upon 
him  if  he  is  prevented,  by  his  weight,  from  going  in 
for  a  competition  on  which  he  set  his  heart,  and  for 
which  he  may  have  already  trained  for  weeks ;  but 
the  disappointment  is  better  faced. 

As  a  rule,  it  is  much  wiser  to  build  yourself  up, 
so  to  say,  than  to  pull  yourself  down.  A  man  who 
is  already  tough  and  hard  has  only  to  keep  so,  just 
improving  his  wind  and  his  skill  as  best  he  may. 
But  if  he  is  above  the  weight  to  which  he  comes 
nearest,  and  at  which  he  feels  that  he  should  fight, 
it  is  far  better — rather  than  miss  the  competition 
altogether — to  take  his  chance  with  the  bigger  man 
than  to  run  the  grave  risk  of  weakening  his  heart  by 
semi- starvation  and  strain. 


TRAINING  117 

The  case  of  those  whose  day  is  their  own  is  natur- 
ally simplified,  and  for  them  the  benefits  of  an  open 
air  life  should  be  insisted  on.  But  with  nothing  else 
very  particular  to  occupy  their  time,  these  are  some- 
times prone  to  overdo  their  training  :  which  is  the 
next  worse  thing  to  training  too  little.  The  best  way 
out  of  the  difficulty  is  to  find  some  pursuit  which 
helps  training  in  a  way  and  yet  has  nothing  actually 
to  remind  you  of  it.  If  you  ride  much,  when  training 
ride  only  rather  less  and  give  the  rest  of  the  time  to 
the  more  direct  processes  of  preparation.  At  the 
same'  time  the  early  walk  and  the  late  one  are 
excellent  habits  to  adopt ;  for  though  you  will  not 
need  the  fresh  air  so  greatly  as  the  man  who  has  been 
working  all  day  indoors,  the  tonic  effect  of  the  former 
and  the  soporific  effect  of  the  latter  are  most 
valuable. 

Naturally  it  is  always  better  to  train  in  the 
country  than  in  the  town  ;  and  when  you  ordinarily 
live  in  the  smoke,  it  will  be  a  good  plan,  when 
possible,  to  migrate  to  the  cleaner  atmosphere  for  this 
special  occasion.  At  the  same  time  it  is  difficult  to 
find  many  people  to  box  with — or  indeed  any  at  all 
— in  the  heart  of  the  country  :  it  will  be  impossible 
to  take  a  retinue  of  bruisers  with  you,  and  you  will  be 
forced  to  content  yourself  with  some  one  instructor 
whose  services  you  may  have  hired  for  the  occasion. 
So  it  is  better,  if  you  live  in  London,  to  do  your 
training  within  easy  reach,  so  that  you  can  arrange 
for  various  sparring  partners  to  come  to  you,  and  so 
that  you  may  yourself  go  in  periodically  to  box  at 
some  club.     But  such  an  elaborate  business  will  not 


Ii8  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

suit  a  great  number  of  men  who  are  entering  for  a 
competition  :  and  they  will  probably  take  their  chance 
wherever  they  may  happen  to  be,  and  probably  spar 
with  the  same  man  every  day.  And  the  man,  pro- 
vided he  is  a  thoroughly  capable  one,  will  teach  you 
as  much  as  the  average  amateur  requires  to  know. 
But  to  box  with  several  men  is  much  better. 

A  most  exhilarating  and  beneficial  treatment  for 
a  boxer  about  to  go  in  for  a  competition  is  some 
form  of  massage.  And  it  is  certainly  a  good  way  of 
winding  up  an  afternoon's  exercise. 

"  Professor  "  Ned  Donnelly  (an  old  bare-knuckle 
fighter  who  earned  some  renown  in  the  'sixties),  in 
his  book  on  the  Art  of  Boxing,  recommends  a  mixture 
to  be  rubbed  on  your  hands,  arms,  face  and  chest 
three  times  a  day.  This  consists  of  a  pint  of  whisky, 
a  pint  of  vinegar,  some  horse-radish,  and  some  rock 
salt,  with  about  five  lemons  squeezed  in.  These 
ingredients  should  be  put  into  a  pot  and  boiled,  and 
when  cold  decanted  into  a  bottle,  which  should  last 
for  a  considerable  time.  Donnelly's  prescription  was 
probably  intended  to  toughen  the  skin,  rather  than  to 
make  you  supple  and  to  refresh  you.  Some  trainers 
use  a  mixture  of  camphor  and  methylated  spirits, 
some  are  contented  with  Elliman.  But  it  is  the 
rubbing  which  matters  more  than  the  stuff  rubbed  in. 
And  you  should  be  rubbed  all  over,  back  and  front. 

After  sparring  and  punching  the  ball  and  skipping 
all  the  afternoon,  let  us  say,  you  should  have  a  tepid 
shower-bath — which  would  be  provided  in  any  well 
appointed  gymnasium  or  club — followed  by  a  cold 
one ;  or  at  least  a  sponge  down.     And  then,  prefer- 


TRAINING  119 

ably  in  a  room  where  there  is  a  fire,  if  the  weather 
justifies  it  (and  boxing  competitions  are  usually  in  the 
winter  or  early  spring),  you  should  lie  on  a  large  table 
to  be  massaged.  The  effect  is  wonderfijlly  stimulating, 
it  removes  all  stiffness  and  leaves  you  almost  as  fresh 
as  when  you  began  the  day. 

It  is  homely  advice — but  remember  that  it  is  easy 
to  catch  cold  after  you  have  been  boxing ;  and  that 
though  it  is  possible  to  fight  and  even  win  a  com- 
petition with  a  cold  upon  you,  it  will  be  twice  as  hard 
work.  A  cold  drains  your  strength  in  an  extra- 
ordinarily short  space  of  time. 

The  choice  of  an  instructor  should  not  be  difficult. 
At  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  besides  the  men  attached 
to  the  respective  clubs,  there  are  several  private 
practitioners,  whose  rival  claims  must  be  decided  upon 
their  merits.  At  the  Belsize  Boxing  Club  in  London, 
there  are  several  first-rate  men  ;  and  in  any  big  town 
in  the  north,  the  Midlands,  or  in  London  itself,  there 
is  not  much  difficulty  in  finding  a  good  professional 
with  some  idea  of  imparting  his  knowledge  to  you. 
Rudimentary  boxing  is  not  a  particularly  difficult  thing 
to  teach  ;  but,  like  every  other  sport,  it  requires  con- 
siderable patience.  And  you  must  find  a  man  who 
is  willing  to  take  trouble  with  you.  Many  people, 
when  training,  do  not  join  a  club  but  hire  the  services 
of  a  private  instructor.  An  important  thing  to  re- 
member is  that  he  should  be  of  about  the  same  size 
and  weight  as  his  pupil.  And  he  should  be  a  well- 
tried  man  whom  you  are  perfectly  certain  knows  more 
about  boxing  than  you  do.  But  even  if  you  have  the 
luxury  of  a  coach  to  yourself,  it  is  a  good  thing  to 


120  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

belong  to  some  club,  if  only  for  the  chance  of  sparring 
with  the  other  members. 

Training  at  the  universities  is  a  much  easier 
matter  than  it  is  anywhere  else,  because  the  whole 
atmosphere  is  one  of  athletic  preparation.  Somebody 
is  always  training  for  something.  You  need  never  feel 
solitary  in  your  efforts  of  abnegation.  At  the  Boxing 
Club  rooms  there  are  the  best  of  instructors,  and,  of 
course,  a  large  choice  of  people  to  spar  with,  as  well 
as  all  the  accessories  you  may  require.  The  early 
morning  walk  need  never  be  lonely,  though  the 
majority  of  undergraduates  in  training  for  other  sports 
than  boxing  prefer  to  run.  There  is  no  occasion  to 
take  any  violent  exercise  until  the  afternoon.  The 
morning  can  be  passed  in  the  ordinary  succession  of 
lectures,  or  in  reading  ;  or  if  work  is  of  negligible 
importance  in  a  not  too  zealous  walk.  Luncheon 
should  be  a  very  light  meal,  followed  by  at  least  half 
an  hour  of  idleness.  This  should  be  succeeded  by 
three  hours'  really  hard  work  with  skipping  rope, 
punching  ball  and  gloves — principally  gloves.  And 
the  evening  walk  before  going  to  bed — as  near 
ten,  one  way  or  the  other  as  possible — completes  the 
day. 

About  a  fortnight  before  the  competition,  the 
exercise  should  be  increased  by  three  rounds  of 
sparring  and  an  hour's  walk  in  the  middle  of  the 
morning.  But  two  or  three  days  before  the  event 
you  should  leave  off  boxing  altogether.  You  will  be 
better  for  this  rest,  you  will  come  to  the  actual  com- 
petition the  fresher  for  it.  The  skipping  and  the 
punching  of  the  ball  and  the  sack  may  be  proportion- 


IN-FIGHTING:   BOTH    BOXERS   ARE  CARRYING   THEIR   CHINS   TOO    HIGH, 

MUTUALLY   EXPOSING   THEM 

(see  page  gi) 


TRAINING  121 

ately  increased  ;  but  if  you  are  in  really  good  condition 
the  last  three  days  should  be  comparatively  devoid  of 
very  violent  work.  Walking  is  really  quite  sufficient. 
Competitions — always  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  and 
elsewhere  generally,  except  when  the  entries  are  very 
numerous,  as  in  the  amateur  championships — are  in 
the  evening  :  so  during  the  preceding  morning  and 
afternoon,  it  is  better  to  take  an  almost  complete  rest ; 
walking  a  little  perhaps,  but  lying  down  and  reading 
a  good  deal. 

The  afternoon  before  a  competition,  especially  if 
it  is  your  first,  will  prove  rather  trying.  There  are 
people  with  nerves  so  completely  steady,  who  are  so 
utterly  insensible  and  regardless  of  the  trial  awaiting 
them,  that  they  can  be  genuinely  interested  in  some 
book  or  discussion  which  is  remote  from  boxing.  So 
much  the  better  for  them.  Men  have  been  known 
even  to  go  to  bed  and  to  sleep  throughout  the  after- 
noon ;  and  that  is  better  still. 

But  the  average  man  is  horribly  nervous,  and 
cannot  for  the  life  of  him  think  or  talk  about  anything 
save  the  competition  to  come.  To  advise  men  like 
this  not  to  think  about  it  (as  some  people  invariably 
do)  will  only  be  a  cause  of  irritation  ;  to  say  "  never 
mind,  it'll  all  be  over  soon,"  will  have  about  as  much 
beneficent  effect  as  the  same  remark  addressed  to  a 
man  about  to  be  hano-ed.  It  is  much  better  to  face 
the  situation,  and,  if  you  are  unable  to  keep  your 
mind  away  from  the  competition,  to  talk  about  it  with 
people  who  know  the  subject  and  are  likely  to  help 
you  ;  not  those  who  make  depressing  comments  as  in 
the  following  story  : — 


122  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

The  Oxford  representatives  had  gone  over  to 
Cambridge  for  the  Inter-' Varsity  competitions,  which 
are  held  at  Oxford  and  Cambridge  on  alternate  years  ; 
and  the  redoubtable  Mr.  Hopley  was  the  light-blue 
heavy-weight.  In  the  train,  by  way  of  cheering  his 
prospective  opponent,  one  of  the  Oxford  men  informed 
him — what  was  literally  true — that  the  entire  space  of 
time  Hopley  had  spent  in  the  ring  in  all  competitions 
for  which  he  had  ever  entered  would  go  inside  a 
quarter  of  an  hour;  as  he  had  generally  succeeded 
in  knocking  out  his  man  in  the  first  minute.  Blunders 
of  this  kind  are  generally  emphasized  and  made  worse 
by  the^ bungler  suddenly  becoming  aware  of  what  he 
has  said,  and  trying  to  improve  on  it  by  assuring  his 
victim  that  of  course  things  will  take  a  different 
course  this  time.  Incidentally  they  did  not;  for 
Mr.  Hopley  added  forty-three  seconds  only  to  his 
experience  in  boxing  competitions. 

About  half- past  three  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  encounter  you  should  have  a  good  rub  down  ;  or 
if  you  have  to  travel  far  to  the  place  of  meeting,  have 
it  as  long  before  the  competition  as  you  conveniently 
can.  Also,  when  you  have  more  than  one  fight  on 
the  same  night,  it  is  a  most  excellent  plan  to  make  your 
second  or  trainer  rub  you  down  between  them  :  the 
same  method  being  followed  as  in  training.  For  this 
reason  an  instructor  should  always  have  a  rudimentary 
knowledge  of  massage. 

On  this  tiresome  day,  too,  the  question  of  food  is 
important ;  not  so  much  as  to  what  you  will  eat  as 
when  you  will  eat  it.  Of  course  it  entirely  depends 
on  the  hour  at  which  you  are  expected  to  box.     When 


TRAINING  123 

the  competition  begins  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
which  is  a  usual  time,  you  should  have  a  very  light 
lunch  at  about  one,  and  a  good  meal  at  five.  Beef- 
steak, toast,  and  stewed  fruit  at  this  hour  do  not 
sound  very  attractive  ;  but  you  require  them,  par- 
ticularly the  steak.  You  should  drink  little — a  glass 
of  claret  for  choice.  Some  people  drink  tea.  Water, 
either  plain  or  aerated,  should  be  avoided. 

The  question  of  drink  during  training  is  much 
discussed.  Donnelly,  already  quoted,  recommends 
red  wine  mixed  with  water,  with  the  mid-day  meal. 
Without  the  least  desire  to  uphold  teetotalism,  it  may 
be  said  that  this  is  generally  unnecessary.  People 
must  be  guided  by  what  they  find  individually  suitable. 
One  glass  of  red  wine  at  the  last  meal  before  boxing 
may,  however,  be  really  valuable.  It  should  always 
be  remembered  that  large  quantities  of  liquid  are  very 
bad  for  the  wind,  and  that  water  adds  in  the  most 
amazing  way  to  your  weight.  If  you  are  at  all  near 
the  limit  of  the  weight  at  which  you  mean  to  box  a 
tumbler  of  water  drunk  just  before  weighing  will  turn 
the  scale  on  the  wrong  side. 

It  is  a  great  temptation  to  a  nervous  boxer  to 
walk  about  aimlessly  and  incessantly  on  the  day  of 
the  competition.  It  should  not  be  done.  In  the 
evening  you  will  require  all  the  strength  you  have, 
and  this  restless  patrolling  of  the  streets  is  apt  to  be 
far  more  tiring  than  you  can  realize  at  the  time. 


CHAPTER  XI 
COMPETITIONS 

"The  fight,  the  fight's  the  thing, 
Wherein  I'll  catch  the  conscience  of  the  King.'* 

THE  Spirit  of  competition  is  inherent  in  human 
nature.  To  almost  every  man,  as  soon  as  he 
has  learned  some  new  power,  comes  the  desire 
to  test  it ;  to  see  if  he  can  do  something  better  than 
someone  else.  This  spirit  is  by  no  means  universal 
in  sport,  but  it  is  extremely  widespread.  In  boxing 
it  is  probably  less  so  than  in  gregarious  pastimes, 
because  you  literally  fall  or  stand  alone  ;  and  people 
fear  terribly  lest  they  should  make  fools  of  themselves 
in  public. 

Sooner  or  later,  however,  a  large  number  of 
amateur  boxers  feel  the  wish  to  pit  themselves  against 
their  fellows.  Often  this  is  less  for  '*  pot-hunting " 
than  because  they  realize  that  outside  a  proper  com- 
petition with  a  referee  and  judges  and  seconds,  with 
their  sponges  and  towels,  and  a  timekeeper  with  a 
stop-watch — in  fact,  with  all  the  ceremonial  which 
draws  the  distinction  between  practice  and  the  real 
thing, — they  realize  that  without  these  things  the  test 
is  not  a  genuine  one  ;  that  neither  they  themselves 
nor  their  opponents  will  be  strung  up  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  eagerness  and  enterprise. 


COMPETITIONS  125 

So  quaking  in  your  canvas  shoes,  and  wishing  you 
had  not  been  so  foolhardy,  listening  with  sickly  ap- 
preciation to  the  cheers  of  your  friends  to  whom  you 
are  certain  you  will  prove  a  delusion  and  a  snare,  you 
will  clamber  up  on  to  the  stage  and  through  the  ropes  ; 
and  remarking  for  the  first  time  in  your  life  very  likely 
how  misty  a  sea  of  faces  looks  in  artificial  light,  how 
aloof  from  you,  and  how  helpless  your  position — before 
them  all  and  in  the  glare  of  light — you  will  go  to 
your  corner  and  sit  down. 

Attending  you  will  be  your  second  :  only  one  is 
allowed  by  the  rules  of  the  Arpateur  Boxing  Associa- 
tion, though  occasionally  this  rule  is  broken.  There 
is  no  reason  why  it  should  be.  One  man,  if  he  is  as 
energetic  as  he  ought  to  be,  can  do  everything  that 
you  need.  It  may  be  said  in  passing  that  one  of  the 
most  ridiculous  features  of  the  modern  professional 
contest  is  the  bevy  of  unnecessary  seconds  who  follow 
their  principal  into  the  ring.  Your  second  will 
probably  be  the  instructor  who  has  trained  you — at 
least  he  ought  to  be  :  for  he  will  then  know  where 
you  are  likely  to  fail  and  where  to  succeed,  what  your 
best  blows  are,  and  when  you  should  use  them. 

Immediately  you  sit  down  in  your  corner  he  will 
begin  to  flap  a  towel  before  you.  Professional  seconds 
invariably  do.  Their  reason  for  it  is  one  of  those 
unfathomable  mysteries  that  will  never  be  solved. 
Perhaps  it  is  some  kind  of  etiquette — it  is  impossible 
to  say.  And  occasionally  you  may  find  a  boxer  who 
likes  it.  But  why,  having  just  left  a  warm  dressing- 
room,  and  having  come  into  a  large,  cold  hall  in  next 
to  no  clothes ;  when  you  are  not  in  the  least  out  of 


126  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

breath, — why  you  should  at  that  moment  require  to 
be  fanned  is  a  Httle  obscure.  Many  men  find  that 
this  preliminary  flapping  makes  them  cold  and  un- 
comfortable. So  if  you  have  experienced  this  before, 
tell  your  second  previously  not  to  do  it.  The  few 
moments  between  sitting  down  in  your  corner  and  the 
call  of  time  are  more  profitably  occupied  by  the  second 
in  words  of  advice  and  encouragement.  And  these — 
if  it  is  your  first  competition — however  trite,  are  apt 
to  be  comforting. 

Then  you  and  your  antagonist  are  asked  if  you 
are  ready  ;  the  timekeeper  orders  the  seconds  out  of 
the  ring,  and  **  time  "  is  called.  You  meet  your  man 
in  the  middle  of  the  ring,  shake  hands  and  fall  to. 

And  then  all  is  well.  Purposely  an  attempt  has 
been  made  in  the  last  part  of  the  foregoing  chapter 
and  at  the  beginning  of  this  to  draw  the  least  desir- 
able emotions  experienced  by  the  novice  entering  for 
his  first  pitched  battle.  There  are  plenty  of  men  who 
are  never  nervous  at  all,  are  not  afraid  of  making 
exhibitions  of  themselves,  and  who  are  really  spoiling 
for  a  fight.  To  these  the  call  of  time  brings  them  to 
the  threshold  of  their  desire  ;  to  those  others,  less 
happy  in  anticipation,  it  means  the  end  of  suspense. 
And  then,  when  the  first  blow  is  struck,  and  there  is 
no  possibility  of  drawing  back,  the  spirit  of  fighting 
enters  into  you,  and  you  glory  in  your  utmost  physical 
endeavour. 

At  the  outset  there  are  two  points  to  remember. 
If  your  man  is  a  stranger  to  you — so  far  as  boxing 
goes — you  must  learn  something  of  his  capabilities. 
Therefore  reserve  your  strength  just  at  first,  go  slowly 


COMPETITIONS  127 

and  watch.  At  the  same  time,  bear  in  mind  that  you 
are  an  equally  abstruse  problem  to  him,  so  make  up 
your  mind  to  enforce  his  respect  at  the  very  beginning, 
and  so — be  first.  Keep  to  the  straight  left  and  forget 
for  a  moment  or  two  that  you  can  hit  with  your  right 
hand  at  all.  Some  men  believe  in  surprising  their 
opponents  at  the  beginning  of  an  encounter  by  doing 
something  startling  and  original.  That  is  like  leading 
a  double-blank  at  the  beginning  of  a  game  of  Matador, 
It  may  succeed,  but  it  most  probably  won't.  You 
may  astonish  your  adversary,  but  he  will  know  the 
trick  later  on — whatever  it  may  be — and  will  be 
prepared  for  it :  so  you  won't  have  it  to  fall  back  on. 
The  most  original  course  you  can  pursue  in  boxing  is 
to  be  absolutely  ordinary  in  a  quite  perfect  manner. 
And  it  is  the  most  difficult  course. 

If  you  are  a  beginner,  it  is  thus  better  not  to  try 
and  take  advantage  of  some  of  the  more  advanced 
tactics  of  the  ring,  and  especially  in  the  first  round. 
Keep  hard  at  work,  hitting  with  all  your  might  when 
you  do  hit :  but  watching  carefully  for  an  opening  and 
to  see,  if  possible,  what  blow  your  opponent  is  most 
keen  on  trying  to  bring  off.  This  will  probably  be 
his  favourite  blow,  the  one  with  which  he  hopes  to 
finish  you  off.  If,  like  yourself,  he  is  a  beginner,  he 
will  be  inclined  to  show  his  hand  at  once.  He  will 
be  too  impatient,  very  likely,  to  withhold  it  till  the 
right  and  most  appropriate  moment.  So  wait  and 
observe  what  kind  of  blow  he  most  fancies  and  take 
advantage  of  it.  He  will  be  so  eager  to  bring  it  off 
that  he  will  never  think  you  have  been  watching  him. 
So  when,  for  the  fourth  or  fifth  time,  he  tries  that 


128  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

desperate  right  swing,  or  ferocious  left-hand  upper-cut, 
or  something  equally  daring  and  blundering,  wait  for 
it,  stop  it,  and  retaliate  with  your  own  particular 
favourite,  delivered  at  your  leisure  and  with  all  your 
weight :  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  your  favourite  blow 
will  be  something  straight  from  the  shoulder.  For  it 
can  never  be  repeated  too  often  that  straight  blows, 
particularly  straight  left  blows,  are  incomparably  better 
than  any  others. 

One  of  the  rules  governing  the  public  school 
championships  tells  you  that  any  boy  seen  to  be 
working  for  a  knock-out  will  be  warned,  and  if  he 
persists,  disqualified.  The  desired  effect  of  the  rule 
being  that  competitors  are  to  do  their  best  to  win 
on  points.  There  is  no  surer  way  of  gaining  points 
and  insinuating  your  way  into  the  favour  of  the 
referee  and  judges  than  by  leading  off  continually 
with  the  straight  left.  Moreover,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  man  who  does  the  most  leading  off  wins. 
So  having  made  up  your  mind  as  well  as  you  can 
as  to  your  antagonist's  capabilities,  go  for  him  and 
keep  on  going  for  him.  Your  training  will  here 
begin  to  tell.  If  you  are  in  really  fine  condition, 
you  will  be  able  to  maintain  the  effort  and  fight  at 
top  speed  throughout  the  three  rounds.  If  you  are 
in  poor  condition  you  will  be  pumped  and  well  nigh 
dead  beat  at  the  end  of  the  first  round. 

But  whatever  has  happened  (short  of  a  knock 
down),  go  leisurely  to  your  corner  at  the  call  of  time 
and  sit  down  in  the  chair  (which  your  second,  with 
the  amazing  dexterity  of  which  seconds  have  the 
secret,  will  have  whipped  over  or  under  the  ropes 


COMPETITIONS  129 

and  be  holding  in  position  for  you).  The  first 
attention  to  be  paid  is  the  squeezing  of  a  spongeful 
of  cold  water  over  your  head  and  face,  and  the 
careful  wiping  away  of  any  blood  :  for  even  if  you 
do  not  bleed  easily  at  the  nose,  or  have  not  torn  an 
ear,  you  will  generally  find  that  the  skin  of  your 
lips  is  cut  through,  merely  by  being  hammered 
against  your  closed  teeth. 

And  a  small  point  to  be  remembered  here  is  that 
you  should  bring  your  own  sponge.  Apart  from 
anything  else,  professional  seconds  consider  as  an 
indispensable  part  of  their  ministrations  the  thrusting 
of  a  corner  of  the  sponge  into  your  mouth  and  the 
washing  of  your  tongue.  He  will  then  give  your 
arms  and  legs  a  brisk  rub  over  with  his  hands,  and 
devote  the  remainder  of  the  sixty  seconds'  rest  to 
fanning  you  with  a  towel  vigorously  flapped.  You 
will  need  that  then,  and  appreciate  it  to  the  full. 
Even  if  you  are  not  at  all  winded,  you  will  be  hot. 
And  it  is  the  most  invigorating  part  of  the  proceed- 
ings :  so  much  so  that  out  of  the  minute  at  his 
disposal,  the  second  should  give  at  least  thirty 
seconds  to  fanning.  For  your  part,  you  should  lie 
back,  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  chair  with  your 
legs  stretched  out  before  you  ;  your  shoulders  against 
the  back  of  the  chair  or  the  post  in  the  corner  and 
your  head  well  thrown  back.  You  should  hold  the 
converging  ropes  on  either  side  of  you  with  your 
gloved  hands. 

Before  entering  the  ring  in  the  first  instance, 
make  a  special  point  of  seeing  that  your  shoes  or 
boots  are  well  fastened,  and  that  the  sash  round 
9 


130  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

your  waist  cannot  come  undone.  Much  valuable 
time  is  sometimes  wasted  between  the  rounds  because 
your  second  has  to  tie  you  up  in  one  way  or  the 
other ;  and  the  same  applies  to  laced  gloves,  which 
occasionally  become  loose  in  the  middle  of  a  round. 
In  that  case  the  referee  will  order  you  to  stop 
boxing  until  your  second  has  tied  them  up  again. 
But  any  interruption  is  unsatisfactory,  and  it  is  always 
possible  that  you  or  your  antagonist  will  thereby 
gain  an  advantage — not  exactly  unfair,  but  com- 
pletely outside  the  ordinary  give  and  take  of  the 
encounter. 

Canvas  shoes,  either  because  they  do  not  fit 
properly  or  because,  being  awkward  with  your  feet, 
you  have  kicked  one  against  the  other,  sometimes 
come  half  off  your  foot,  and  you  find  yourself  trying 
to  box  with  the  soft  canvas  and  hard  india-rubber 
doubled  up  under  your  heel.  In  such  an  emergency 
you  should  immediately  get  away  out  of  distance 
and  kick  the  shoe  off  altogether.  That  uncomfortable 
condition  will  not  be  so  dangerous  to  your  chances 
as  the  other.  For  this  reason,  and  particularly  if 
you  are  at  all  weak  about  the  ankles,  boots  are  to 
be  preferred.  The  best  boxing  boots  are  made  of 
soft  black  leather  with  india  rubber  soles  ;  and  once 
put  on  and  properly  laced  there  is  nothing  to  fear 
from  them. 

At  the  end  of  the  minute's  rest,  the  timekeeper 
calls  ''Seconds  out  of  the  ring,"  before  "Time."  In 
practice  (save  in  the  amateur  championships  where 
the  letter  of  the  rule  is  generally  strictly  obeyed) 
you  will  find  that  seconds  never  do  leave  the  ring 


COMPETITIONS  131 

when  they  are  told  to.  They  continue  to  flap  their 
towels  until  the  call  of  time,  edging  away  from  you 
as  the  seconds  go  on.  This  is  a  mistake.  Because, 
as  you  spring  from  your  chair,  you  are  liable  to 
become  mixed  up  with  the  second  and  flurried  before 
ever  you  get  to  your  opponent.  If  the  man  must 
continue  to  fan  you,  let  him  do  it  from  without  the 
ropes. 

Another  of  the  minor   delinquencies  of  seconds 
is  to  give  advice  during  the  progress  of  the  round. 
This  is  against  the  rule,  which  is  the  first  consider- 
ation ;  and  it  is  also  useless.     You  are  far  too  much 
occupied  to  listen  when  your  second  is  urging  you 
to  use  your  right  or  to  go  ''  underneath."     Or  if  you 
are  not,  and  you  do  pay  attention  to  him,  you  cannot 
pay  it  in  full  to  the  man  who  at  the  moment  is  much 
more  important — your  adversary.     The  latter,  if  he 
sees   that    you   are    listening   to    your   second,    will 
naturally    take    advantage    of  the    fact.       For   this 
matter  and  for  others  more  urgent,  a  strong  referee 
is  required  ;  one  who  means  to  be  obeyed.     In  an 
amateur   competition   the  last   thing  wanted  is  any 
small  fuss  or  petty  disturbance,   such  as  would  be 
caused  by  a  second  being  ordered  from  the  room  : 
and  therefore  referees  are  loath  to  exercise  their  full 
powers  in  this  respect.     But  a  really  good  referee 
will  always  be  obeyed  even  when  the  miscreant  in 
question  knows  that  he  will  not  enforce  his  authority 
with  penalties.     As  a  matter  of  fact  you  are  generally 
much  too  busy  even  to  be  aware  that  your  second 
is  coaching  you  during  the  progress  of  the  round. 
If  you  do  hear  him,   or  see  him  signalling  to  you 


132  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

which  he  often  does,  it  will  only  be  in  a  half-conscious 
manner. 

When  a  man  is  knocked  down  and  his  second 
gives  him  the  smallest  help  to  rise,  or  touches  him 
even,  he  will  be  disqualified.  In  this  case  it  may 
be  of  very  real  assistance  for  a  second  to  shout  at 
you  to  get  up,  or  to  beat  with  his  hand  upon  the 
boards  to  remind  you  where  you  are.  And  though 
some  referees  pass  this  over  rather  often,  chiefly 
because  they  have  a  more  urgent  matter  to  attend 
to — that  is  to  say,  the  man  who  is  down  and  his 
antagonist — it  is  not  the  less  a  trick  to  be  forbidden. 

Indeed  it  is  because  this  action  on  a  second's 
part  is  genuinely  useful  that  it  should  not  be  allowed. 
In  boxing  you  have  to  overcome  an  opponent  as 
best  you  may — by  yourself.  Besides  if  you  are 
properly  knocked  out  nothing  on  earth  will  make 
you  rise  ;  and  if  you  are  merely  dazed,  the  strength 
of  your  own  determination  ought  to  be  sufficient. 

Between  the  rounds,  however,  when  he  is  chafing 
your  arms  and  sponging  you,  a  second's  advice  may 
be  most  valuable.  If  he  really  understands  his 
business  he  will  know  how  you  stand  with  regard  to 
points.  He  will  know  if  you  are  hopelessly  beaten — 
and  if  the  beating  is  quite  hopeless  you  will  know 
yourself : — he  will  know  if  you  have  so  far  won  easily 
—  a  thing  about  which  you  are  unlikely  to  feel 
sanguine  :  and  he  will  know — most  important  of  all 
— when  you  are  on  the  border  line,  when  you  and 
your  opponent  are  equal.  And  that  is  a  condition 
which  you  will  probably  misinterpret  for  one  of  the 
two  extremes  :  most  likely  the  pessimistic  one.     And 


COMPETITIONS  133 

the  time  for  your  second  to  give  you  his  views  on 
the  subject  is  during  the  interval  between  the  second 
and  last  round.  You  will  then  be  able  to  make  your 
supreme  effort. 

In  the  first  case,  when  you  are  obviously  beaten, 
he  will  tell  you  to  stick  to  it ;  and  he  will  probably 
recommend  you  to  do  your  utmost  to  knock  your 
adversary  out.  In  the  second  case,  when  you  are 
well  ahead  on  points,  he  will  tell  you  to  go  steadily, 
to  lead  with  your  left  and  to  take  no  risks,  lest  you 
should  spoil  your  excellent  chances.  And  in  the 
last  case,  which  is  the  most  critical — when  you  are 
about  equal,  he  will  urge  you  to  lead  and  to  keep  on 
leading  with  all  your  might,  never  to  rest  or  to  stop 
attacking  for  an  instant.  If  he  is  a  cunning  old  hand, 
and  sees  that  you  have  plenty  of  strength  left,  he  will 
tell  you  that  you  are  behind  on  the  first  two  rounds, 
and  that  if  you  want  to  win  you  must  fight  like  a 
demon.  Many  an  over-confident,  many  a  dis- 
couraged boxer,  has  won  his  battle  in  this  way. 

To  go  back  to  knock-down  .  blows,  there  are 
several  important  points  to  be  remembered.  In  glove 
fights  for  a  money  prize,  ten  seconds'  grace  are 
allowed.  If  the  man  cannot  rise  in  that  time  he  is 
beaten.  If  during  the  time  he  is  down — and  this 
applies  equally  of  course  to  amateur  boxing — his 
opponent  hits  him,  the  latter  is  disqualified. 

A  man  is  reckoned  to  be  ''down,"  not  only  when 
he  is  sprawling  on  the  floor,  but  even  when  his  two 
feet  are  on  the  ground,  and,  at  the  same  time,  any 
other  part  of  him.  This  rule  is  to  guard  a  man  who 
is  rising.     He  gets  up  on  to  his  feet  and  keeps  his 


134  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

hands  on  the  floor  in  order  to  push  himself  up.  So 
long  as  his  hands  or  one  of  them  are  on  the  ground 
he  is  down.  For  this  reason,  when  you  are  knocked 
down,  the  best  way  to  rise  is  in  that  gradual  manner. 
Get  your  feet  well  planted  and  make  an  arch  of  your 
body,  bringing  your  hands  nearer  to  your  feet  by 
degrees  along  the  floor,  until  you  are  able  to  rise. 
Make  a  backing  movement  away  from  your  opponent 
as  you  do  so,  and  take  this  opportunity  of  dusting 
your  gloves  against  your  body  as  described  in  a  pre- 
vious chapter. 

Now  the  rule  of  the  Amateur  Boxing  Association 
dealing  with  this  question  makes  no  provision  for  the 
ten  seconds'  grace.     It  simply  gives  it  that  when  a 
man  is  down,  his  opponent  shall  retire  out  of  distance 
and  shall  not  begin  to  box  again  until  told  to  do  so  by 
the  referee.     And  the  referee  is  empowered  to  stop  a 
round,  if  in  his  opinion  a  man  is  outclassed  or  unfit 
to  continue,  and  that  man  shall  lose  the  bout.     There 
is   no   word   about  a  knock-out.     The   matter   rests 
entirely  with  the  referee.      In  practice  again,  in  com- 
petitions held  by  many  amateur  clubs — certainly  at 
the  universities — the  formal  ten  seconds  are  counted 
(not   usually   aloud),   and  if  a  man  rises  before  the 
count  of  ten,    he  is — unless   obviously   dead  beat — 
allowed  to  continue  boxing.     Of  course,  the  referee 
uses  his  discretion,  and  even  without  a  man  actually 
going  down   sometimes   stops   the   encounter,    if  he 
thinks  one  of  the  competitors  has  had  enough.     But 
it  happens   occasionally   that   two   men    will  go   on 
knocking  each  other  down  alternately  all  through  a 
round  and  yet  no  particular  damage  is  done.     Or  one 


COMPETITIONS  135 

man  may  suffer  half  a  dozen  knock-down  blows  and 
yet  have  plenty  of  strength  left :  and  the  referee  will 
refrain  from  stepping  in  because  he  sees  that  no  harm 
has  been  done  ;  and  this  man  may  yet  turn  the  tables 
on  his  antagonist  and  win. 

Rather  a  delicate  point  comes  to  be  considered 
here.  If  a  man  goes  down  without  a  blow,  the 
referee  can  disqualify  him.  If  he  is  knocked  down, 
we  will  assume — judging  by  practice  and  not  by  the 
letter  of  the  amateur  rule — that  he  has  ten  seconds 
in  which  to  recover  and  rise.  Sometimes  because 
of  a  hard  blow,  which  has  just  failed  to  knock  him 
out  completely,  a  man  will  require  every  second  of  the 
ten.  Sometimes  he  can  rise  in  five ;  sometimes  he 
may  have  been  upset  because  he  was  badly  balanced 
and  can  get  up  immediately.  For  the  purpose  of 
argument  we  are  saying  that  ten  seconds  are  allowed 
— what  advantage  can  be  taken  of  them  ?  It  is  a 
matter  which  must  rest  with  the  individual.  A 
boxers  ideals  in  sport  are  entirely  his  own  affair. 
It  can  only  be  said  here  that  when  a  man  is  heavily 
knocked  down  and  struggles  to  rise  at  once,  fails, 
struggles  again  and  succeeds,  and  goes  for  his  man 
once  more  with  all  his  diminished  power,  the  sight  is 
an  admirable  one.  The  action  may  be  quixotic,  but 
it's  none  the  worse  sport  for  that.  And  it  shows  the 
real  spirit  of  amateur  boxing — the  word  ** amateur" 
being  read  in  its  real  sense. 

Illustrating  the  question  of  the  ten  seconds'  count, 
a  story  is  told  of  an  Irishman  in  America,  which  (it 
is  to  be  hoped)  will  be  unfamiliar  to  some  readers. 
The    Irishman   was  keeping  time  at  what  we  must 


136  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

suppose  was  a  very  rough  and  ready  contest  between 
one  of  his  own  countrymen  and  a  black.  In  the 
course  of  the  battle  the  former  was  knocked  down 
— very  severely  knocked  down.  ''  One !  "  cried  the 
timekeeper,  watch  in  hand — *'  One  !  did  ye  hear  me, 
Pat  ?  Two  !  Git  up  ye  fool — there's  only  ten  seconds 
and  ye'll  be  beat.  Three !  Pat,  think  of  your  old 
mother.  What's  it  she'd  be  saying  to  ye,  beat  by  a 
nigger,  too !  Four !  Think  o'  the  old  counthry,  Pat. 
Git  up,  man.  Five!  I'll  be  countin'  ye  out  directla." 
And  so  on,  conversationally  and  slowly,  until  at  the 
call  of  eight,  Pat  staggered  to  his  feet.  In  the  next 
round,  by  a  mighty  effort,  Pat  succeeded  in  knocking 
down  the  nigger.  Desperately  fearing  lest  he  should 
revive  in  time,  the  man  with  the  watch  set  off  at  top 
speed.  **  One,  two,  three,  four,  five  and  five's  ten. 
You're  out,  ye  black  baste." 

Whether  or  not  this  story  owes  its  origin  to 
another  of  the  first  historic  combat  between  Cribb 
and  Molineaux  is  not  to  be  said.  The  latter  is 
undoubtedly  true,  and  scarcely  redounds  to  the  credit 
of  those  concerned  with  one  side  of  it.  In  the 
twenty-third  round  Cribb  went  down,  utterly 
beaten.  Molineaux,  an  enormously  powerful  negro, 
quite  exhausted  him  with  his  smashing  blows. 
There  was  no  chance  of  his  coming  up  to  time  for 
the  next  round;  for  it  must  be  remembered  that 
only  half  a  minute's  rest  was  allowed  between  the 
rounds  of  a  prize  fight.  Seeing  that  his  man's  case 
was  hopeless,  Cribb's  second  went  across  the  ring 
to  Molineaux's  corner  and  charged  him  with  holding 
bullets  in  his  hands — which,  by  the  way,  would  have 


"iim^ik 


A   LEFT   HOOK   AT   THE  JAW:   THE   BLOW   BEING   STRUCK    LMMEDIATELY 
AFTER   GUARDING   A   STRAIGHT   LEFT 

i  see  page  yg) 


COMPETITIONS  137 

done  much  more  harm  than  good  to  the  striker. 
The  black  had  done  nothing  of  the  sort,  and  Cribb's 
second  knew  it ;  but  the  ahercation  gained  a  Httle 
extra  grace  for  Cribb,  and  he  was  able  to  come  up 
to  the  scratch  for  the  next  round,  subsequently- 
winning  the  fight. 

To  resume  the  discussion  of  amateur  competitions, 
it  sometimes  happens  that  a  man  has  the  (comparative) 
good  fortune  to  be  knocked  down  just  a  moment 
before  time  is  called  at  the  end  of  a  round. 
Immediately  he  hears  the  timekeeper's  voice,  the 
second  may  jump  into  the  ring  and  raise  his 
principal,  carrying  him  to  his  corner.  It  is  here 
that  a  really  experienced  second  is  needed.  Brandy 
or  other  stimulants  between  rounds  are  scarcely 
ever  to  be  recommended,  and  most  certainly  not 
for  a  man  who  has  just  suffered  a  blow  on  the 
jaw.  The  best  means  of  restoration  in  all  cases 
is  the  sponge  of  cold  water  sluiced  liberally  over 
the  head  and  held  to  the  back  of  the  neck.  Old 
time  professionals  had  an  amiable  habit  of  biting 
their  principals'  ears.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
sharp  pain  thus  inflicted  might  revive  a  man,  but 
it  is  hardly  to  be  said  that  he  would  welcome  it. 
Unless  the  blow  which  brought  him  down  was  an 
exceptionally  severe  one,  the  competitor  should  be 
quite  sufficiently  recovered  by  the  end  of  the  interval 
to  continue  boxing.  If  he  was  knocked  down  by 
a  fairly  light  blow,  or  one  which  hit  him  high  on 
the  jaw,  he  ought  to  be  able  to  start  the  next  round 
quite  fresh  and  vigorous. 

When  you  knock  your  opponent  down,  immedi- 


138  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

ately  back  away  from  him  to  the  farthest  corner 
of  the  ring — without  waiting  for  the  referee  to  tell 
you  to  do  so — ^and  remain  there  until  he  is  well  on 
his  feet  again.  The  referee  will  then,  unless  he 
thinks  your  antagonist  cannot  stand  any  more,  tell 
you  to  box  on.  This  of  all  others  is  the  moment 
when  you  need  a  cool  head.  You  have  knocked 
your  man  down  with  a  blow  on  the  jaw,  let  us  say, 
and  he  is  still  dazed  and  **  groggy."  Victory  is 
within  your  grasp,  you  think.  Certainly  it  very 
often  is.  But  you  should  take  nothing  for  granted, 
nor  relax  your  vigilance  for  a  moment.  Men  who 
appeared  to  be  hopelessly  beaten  have,  before  now, 
concentrated  their  whole  dying  effort  into  one 
tremendous  hit  at  a  careless  boxer,  and  have 
thereby  won.  So  keep  your  guard  rigid  and  attack 
steadily. 

You  will  often  see  a  competitor  who  has  just 
floored  his  man  go  for  him  in  a  perfect  frenzy  of 
excitement,  eager  to  snatch  laurels  whilst  he  may. 
He  will  swing  wildly  and  heedlessly,  and  unless  his 
opponent  is  very  far  gone  indeed  quite  vainly.  As 
already  described,  a  swing  is  an  easy  blow  to  stop ; 
and  a  man  who  has  just  risen  from  the  floor  will  be 
on  the  look-out  for  it.  No.  It  is  even  better  to 
allow  your  man  to  recover  somewhat,  whilst  you 
wait  for  a  perfectly  secure  opening,  than  to  lose 
your  head  at  this  critical  moment.  Another  reason 
for  stepping  right  away  from  a  fallen  foe — apart  from 
fairness  to  him — is  that  some  boxers,  even  ex- 
perienced ones,  are  so  excitable  that  they  completely 
forget   all    rules,   lose    themselves    entirely   and   hit 


COMPETITIONS  139 

their  opponent  when  he  is  down.  It  is  not  the 
least  a  question  of  unfairness  or  of  unsporting  con- 
duct. Judged  by  the  least  considerable  motive,  no 
boxer  would  do  it  if  he  gave  himself  time  to  think  : 
because  he  must  be  aware  of  the  immediate  dis- 
qualification which  would  ensue.  It  is  sheer 
excitement. 

Johnny  Summers,  quite  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
light-weights  of  the  day,  than  whom  a  fairer  and 
more  sportsmanlike  boxer  never  put  on  a  glove, 
used  at  one  time  to  lose  his  head  in  this  manner. 
He  would  forget  everything.  He  never  so  much 
as  heard  the  referee  telling  him  to  get  away,  but 
would  pounce  on  the  man  who  had  dropped  on  his 
knees  and  was  clinging  to  the  ropes  and  hit  him 
there.  It  is  astonishing  that  so  accomplished  and 
experienced  a  boxer  should  do  this,  and  the  instance 
serves  to  show  how  important  it  is  for  every  one  to 
learn  the  necessity  of  a  cool  head. 

When  after  knocking  a  man  down  and  he  has 
risen,  and  the  referee  has  told  you  to  box  on,  a 
good  method  of  attack  is,  as  usual,  to  lead  with  the 
left  at  his  face — as  hard  as  you  can — to  get  away 
again,  feint  with  the  right,  and  send  a  left  hook  to 
the  side  of  your  opponent's  jaw.  But  whatever 
you  do,  the  great  thing  is  to  do  it  deliberately. 

Knocks-out  sometimes  give  a  most  unsatisfactory 
termination  to  an  encounter.  In  the  case  described 
above,  where  a  man  is  knocked  down  in  the  last 
seconds  of  a  round,  and  where,  but  for  the  call  of 
time,  he  would  have  been  knocked  out,  what  is  to 
happen  if  the  round  in   question   is  the  last  ?     The 


140  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

man  who  has  been  knocked  down  may  have  hitherto 
been  winning  well  on  points.  Is  he  the  winner  still, 
when  his  antagonist  has  had  the  last  laugh?  It  is 
a  question  to  be  decided  by  the  referee.  If  he  is 
palpably  knocked  out,  lies  still,  and  is  unable  to  stir 
hand  or  foot,  the  referee  will  give  his  decision  to 
the  man  who  knocked  him  down.  If  he  is  just 
about  to  rise  as  time  is  called,  the  fight  would 
probably  stand  on  its  own  merits,  or  an  extra 
round  might  be  ordered. 

Amateur  competitions  are  governed  by  two  judges 
and  a  referee.  The  judges  sit  on  two  sides  of  the 
ring  and  the  referee  on  the  third  side,  with  the  time- 
keeper next  to  him.  By  this  distribution  practically 
every  blow  that  is  struck  comes  under  one  official's 
eye.  At  the  end  of  a  combat,  provided  there  has 
been  no  knock-out,  the  master  of  ceremonies  goes 
to  each  of  the  judges  in  turn,  who  has  written  down 
the  name  of  the  competitor  he  considers  the  winner. 
If  the  judges  agree,  the  M.C.  declares  the  name. 
If  they  disagree,  he  goes  to  the  referee,  who  either 
gives  his  casting  vote,  or  if  he  is  himself  uncertain 
which  of  the  men  deserves  the  verdict,  orders  an 
extra  round  of  two  minutes.  That  generally,  in  fact 
almost  always,  decides  it.  But  the  referee  can  go 
on  ordering  further  rounds  until  two  out  of  the  three 
opinions  coincide.  As  a  rule,  the  referee  prefers  to 
decide  himself,  if  he  can — as  the  competitors  may 
both  be  nearly  dead-beat;  and  after  all,  the  battle 
is  only  supposed  to  be  one  of  three  rounds,  and  it 
ought  to  be  settled  in  that  time  if  possible. 

So  it  is  that  if  you  or  your  second  have  reason 


COMPETITIONS  141 

to  believe  that  you  and  your  antagonist  are  equal  on 
the  first  two  rounds,  whilst  putting  forth  your  best 
endeavour  to  win  in  the  third,  it  is  always  well  to 
hold  a  little  strength  in  reserve.  It  is  in  this  extra 
round,  if  it  is  ordered,  that  your  condition  will  finally 
tell.  Both  men  will  know  that  the  fight  has  to  be 
fought  afresh  in  miniature.  Therefore  they  will 
naturally  think  only  of  points  and  lead  the  whole 
time.  There  is  nothing  to  be  gained  here  by  trying 
to  knock  your  man  out,  unless  indeed  he  lays  himself 
helplessly  open,  which  is  unlikely ;  all  you  can  do 
is  to  box  in  your  very  best  style,  and  keep  on  leading 
as  fast  and  as  well  as  you  know  how.  If  you  do 
that  and  your  stamina  is  better  than  your  adversary's, 
you  will  win. 

The  question  of  reserving  your  strength  comes 
far  more  urgently  home  to  you,  when  you  are  boxing, 
— not  as  the  representative  of  one  club  against 
another, — but  in  a  competition  where  there  are 
preliminary  heats  to  be  fought  off.  In  a  large 
competition  there  is  likely  to  be  the  vastest  difference 
in  the  merits  of  the  various  combatants — some  being 
complete  ''  rabbits."  If  you  have  some  experience 
behind  you,  and  you  are  drawn  with  one  of  these 
in  the  first  heat,  there  is  little  to  trouble  about.  In 
such  a  case  the  process  of  weeding  out  takes  little 
time, and  the  ''rabbit"  will  be  outclassed  and  possibly 
beaten  in  the  first  minute  of  the  first  round. 

It  is  a  pity  when  two  good  men  are  drawn 
together  at  first ;  because  whichever  wins  will  be 
battered  and  worn,  and  may  very  likely  be  beaten 
subsequently  by  a  man  whom,  when  fresh,  he  could 


142  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

easily  have  mastered.  It  is  so  much  more  satis- 
factory for  the  best  fight  to  be  the  final.  But  In 
a  big  competition — like  the  amateur  championships 
— it  comparatively  seldom  turns  out  to  be  so.  With 
a  large  entry  there  are  certain  to  be  good  boxers 
together  in  the  preliminary  fights,  and  the  two  best 
of  these  meeting  at  the  end  will  surely  be  too  tired 
to  put  up  a  very  fine  battle. 

Such  is  the  strength  of  some  men  and  the 
perfection  of  their  training,  that  you  do  see  most 
admirable  finals  now  and  again.  But  It  is  not  to  be 
expected  as  a  rule.  How  then  Is  a  competitor  to 
reserve  his  strength  ?  He  must  do  his  best  throughout 
in  order  to  win  at  all ;  or  rather  he  must  be  ready 
to  do  his  best.  The  only  way  is  to  box  with  one 
main  idea  In  your  mind  besides  that  of  beating  your 
opponent :  let  him  do  as  much  of  the  work  as  possible. 
Do  not  run  about  the  ring ;  do  not  waste  your  energy 
on  swings,  which  if  they  do  not  land,  as  explained 
before,  take  more  out  of  the  man  who  gives  them 
than  any  other  blow.  Avoid  much  in-fighting,  and 
on  this  occasion  more  than  any  other — for  your  own 
sake  abjure  clinching. 

When  you  draw  a  bye  in  the  first  heat  of  a 
competition,  it  is  usual  to  spar  with  your  own  second 
or  with  a  friend.  The  rule  gives  it  that  you  may 
box  with  anyone  approved  of  by  the  judges  and 
referee.  The  idea  is,  of  course,  that  you  should  not 
come  fresh  to  the  next  heat,  as  you  would  if  you  had 
not  boxed  at  all.  At  the  same  time  it  is  not  to  be 
expected  that  a  bye  shall  be  such  an  exhausting 
affair  as  an  actual   bout,  and  there  is  no  particular 


COMPETITIONS  143 

reason  why  it  should  be.  You  are  entitled  to  take 
some  advantage  when  the  drawing  of  lots  gives  it  to 
you.  A  good,  brisk  spar  for  three  rounds  of  the  same 
duration  as  those  in  the  competition  is  sufficient.^ 

The  length  of  rounds  varies  according  to  the 
practice  of  individual  clubs.  The  Amateur  Boxing 
Association  provides  that  the  first  two  rounds  shall 
be  of  three  minutes  and  the  third  of  four.  But  in 
many  club  competitions  the  rounds  are  shorter : — 
two,  two,  and  three  minutes  being  generally  enough 
to  test  men  properly. 

After  the  encounter  is  over,  you  retire  to  your 
corner,  and  your  second  should  be  just  as  zealous 
then  as  before  previous  rounds  in  refreshing  you 
by  every  means  at  his  disposal.  There  is  always 
the  chance  of  the  judges  disagreeing  and  of  the 
referee  ordering  an  extra  round.  In  boxing  it  is 
better  never  to  take  anything  at  all  for  granted. 
When  the  decision  is  announced  and  in  your  favour, 
you  go  over  to  your  opponent's  corner  and  shake 
hands  with  him  there,  generally  leaving  the  ring 
before  him.  You  also  shake  hands  before  the 
beginning  of  the  last  round. 

An  awkward  problem  with  which  you  are  very 
occasionally  faced  is  a  boxer  who  stands  with  his 
right  leg  and  arm  in  front.  It  is  generally  a  naturally 
left-handed  man  who  does  this.  Such  a  style  is 
very  rare,  and  to  see  it  successful  is  rarer  still.  When 
pitted  against  a  right-handed  boxer,  you  must  modify 
your  own  style  accordingly.     Such  a  match  will  be 

^  For  the  method  of  drawing,  see  Rules  of  the  Royal  Navy  and 
Army  Boxing  Association,  Appendix  ii. 


144  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

a  perfect  hey-day  for  one  who  uses  the  ordinary 
position,  but  is  fond  of  his  right.  If  that  right  is 
quick  and  strong,  he  should  make  the  most  of  it. 

Facing  a  right-handed  boxer,  certain  of  the  rules 
which  you  have  learnt  in  order  to  beat  a  more  usual 
opponent  must  be  reversed  :  thus  you  should  work 
round  towards  your  left,  so  as  to  avoid  his  left — 
which  will  be  held  in  readiness  for  a  heavy  cross- 
counter  or  swing,  just  as  another  man's  right  is. 

Then,  to  lead  with  your  straight  left  at  his  head 
is  just  as  dangerous  as,  opposed  to  the  ordinary 
boxer,  it  is  to  lead  with  your  straight  right :  and 
thus  the  best  and  most  valuable  of  all  blows  is  made 
of  none  effect. 

Remember  that  an  opponent  of  this  kind  will 
keep  on  leading  with  his  right,  regarding  it  as  his 
best  blow.  You  can  guard  that  easily  enough  with 
your  left  arm,  slightly  bent  and  held  further  in 
front  of  you  than  when  guarding  with  your  right. 
But  never  forget  that  it  is  your  left  which  is  your 
guarding  arm.  If  you  try  and  guard  with  your  right, 
you  will  have  to  pull  it  over  to  your  left  shoulder, 
and  you  are  then  bound  to  leave  your  body  fully 
exposed  to  your  opponent  s  left :  to  say  nothing  of 
putting  yourself  into  an  awkward  and  ill-balanced 
position.  But  with  an  antagonist  of  this  sort  it  is 
much  better  to  avoid  the  blow  altogether,  duck  to 
your  left  and  give  him  a  right-hand  body  blow  with 
your  elbow  bent,  and  your  body  leaning  well  forward. 
Then  get  away  to  your  left,  moving  your  right  foot 
first  and  bringing  your  right  arm  back  again  into 
position  in  case  you  have  to  guard  his  left  again. 


COMPETITIONS  145 

The  pleasure  in  a  good  fight  is  unlike  many- 
others.  There  is  generally  little  enough  joy  in 
anticipation  and  less  retrospectively  than  in  many 
other  cases.  It  is  the  actual  conflict  in  which  lies 
the  keenest  enjoyment.  Nevertheless  enjoyment  in 
a  hard-fought  battle  is  not  to  be  had  without  a  fair 
knowledge  of  boxing. 

No  one  should  enter  his  name  for  a  competition 
who  does  not  feel  perfectly  at  ease  in  his  movements, 
or  to  whom  the  rudimentary  footwork  and  the  ordinary 
blows  do  not  come  almost  instinctively.  Unless  you 
have  advanced  thus  far  as  a  boxer,  your  little 
theoretical  knowledge  will  only  hamper  any  natural 
and  preconceived  ideas  on  the  subject.  And  as 
mentioned  before,  the  natural  fighter — the  man  in 
whom  a  certain  amount  of  boxing  is  born — is  a  more 
dangerous  opponent  than  one  who  has  just  been 
taught  enough  to  make  him  stiff  and  awkward.  The 
latter  usually  finds  himself  helpless  when  pitted  against 
a  man  equal  in  weight  and  size,  but  more  knowledge- 
able. And  a  really  bad  drubbing  is  apt  to  discourage 
many  a  promising  beginner.  It  is  far  better  to  wait 
— not  necessarily  until  you  are  a  good  boxer — but 
until  you  have  rubbed  off  the  rough  corners  and 
find  the  accepted  methods  natural  to  you. 


10 


CHAPTER   XII 
ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE 

"...  may  Mars   who  watches  o'er 
The  half-stripped  votaries  of  the  sawdust  floor, 
Protect  thee  still." 

THE  practical  uses  of  boxing  for  the  purposes 
of  self-defence  in  a  street  or  other  row  are 
considerable,  but  sometimes  just  a  little  over- 
rated. Everybody  is  accustomed  to  stories,  actual  or 
invented,  telling  of  the  big  bully  thrashed  by  a  little 
boxer.  Plenty  of  big  bullies  have  been  thrashed  by 
little  boxers :  but  in  the  interests  of  truth  rather 
than  of  sentiment  it  is  as  well  to  add  that  where  the 
bully  is  himself  a  boxer  (and  a  boxer  may  be  fairly 
competent  without  being  very  courageous)  the  little 
man  will  wish  he  was  a  big  man.  Weight  and  height 
and  size  must  of  themselves  tell. 

But  then,  most  fortunately,  these  valuable  quali- 
ties sometimes  tell  against  their  owner.  A  hulking 
ruffian  with  no  knowledge  of  boxing,  or — what  is 
worse  —  a  very  little  knowledge,  will  expend  his 
strength  in  futile  swings  and  wind-mill  blows ;  he  will 
get  his  feet  mixed  up ;  he  will  fight  himself  to  a 
standstill.  And  all  the  while  the  other  man,  little 
or   not  as   the   case   may   be,   will   keep   himself  in 

Z46 


ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE  147 

reserve  ;  looking  on,  so  to  say,  an  interested  spectator. 
The  mighty,  blundering  arms  will  pass  and  repass 
over  his  head  ;  but  by  a  little  slipping  and  ducking 
on  the  part  of  a  skilled  opponent,  these  stupid  blows 
will  never  land  on  any  vital  part.  And  then  when 
the  giant  has  worn  himself  out  and  stands  panting 
and  exhausted,  his  antagonist — still  keeping  admir- 
ably cool  and  collected — will  carefully  and  systematic- 
ally smash  him. 

That  is  the  best  side  of  street  fighting,  and  it 
happens  fairly  often ;  but  it  is  not  always  safe  to 
reckon  on  the  ruffian  being  a  merely  hulking  one  : 
he  may  be  a  good  hand,  for  instance,  at  kicking  with 
hob-nailed  boots.  And  so  to  be  useful  in  such 
emergencies  the  boxer  has  to  alter  his  methods  a 
little  and  be  prepared  for  eventualities  in  no  way 
connected  with  the  Queensberry  rules. 

Of  course  you  will  soon  see  whether  the  man  who 
attacks  you,  or  whom,  for  one  reason  or  another,  you 
feel  called  upon  to  attack,  is  going  to  fight  fairly  or 
not.  In  the  former  case  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  box 
as  well  as  you  can — as  though  you  had  entered  for  a 
competition  with  bare  knuckles,  but  with  certain 
modifications.  In  the  latter  you  must  keep  a  sharp 
look  out  and  employ  certain  dodges,  some  of  which 
will  be  indicated  here,  which  are  outside  boxing. 

In  the  first  place,  your  position  in  any  impromptu 
encounter  should  be  rather  different  to  that  employed 
in  ordinary  sparring.  You  should  stand  more  edge- 
ways on  towards  your  opponent,  so  as  to  give  him 
as  small  a  target  as  possible  ;  and  your  attitude  should 
be  more  cramped.     You  need  not  be  afraid  of  this 


148  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

on  the  score  of  being  tired  the  sooner,  as  such  a  fight 
is  unlikely  to  last  long.  It  is  extremely  important 
to  guard  every  vital  point  rigidly.  Your  left  shoulder 
should  be  held  well  up  with  the  chin  sunk  below  it. 
Your  left  arm  should  be  more  bent  than  is  usual,  your 
right  elbow  nearer  the  pit  of  your  stomach,  and  the 
fist  close  to  your  face.  Your  feet  will  be  in  the  same 
position  as  they  ordinarily  are. 

It  is  an  ungainly  posture,  and  there  will  be  none 
of  the  free  and  easy  movement  which  is  so  essential 
to  good  boxing.  But  a  fight  in  grim  earnest  cannot 
allow  for  the  elegances  of  sport.  You  must  protect 
yourself  as  best  you  can  and  damage  your  enemy  as 
much  as  possible  in  the  quickest  time.  In  the  case 
of  a  hooligan,  you  must  do  all  in  your  power  to 
disable  him  completely.  Winning  by  a  fair  margin 
of  points  is  hardly  satisfactory  in  a  street  rough-and- 
tumble. 

If  your  opponent  stands  up  and  boxes  like  a  man, 
there  is  one  particular  blow  you  should  try  and  land 
at  once ;  and  that  is  a  straight  left  at  his  throat. 
You  can  occasionally  bring  it  off  when  boxing  with 
gloves  if  your  antagonist  leans  his  head  back ;  other- 
wise the  size  of  the  glove  mitigates  its  effect,  and  the 
blow  lands  partly  on  the  top  part  of  his  chin  and 
partly  on  the  top  of  his  breast-bone.  With  the  bare 
fist,  however,  there  is  no  difficulty  about  bringing  the 
knuckles  into  undisturbed  contact  with  the  apple  of 
the  throat.  Such  a  blow,  well  delivered,  may  virtually 
finish  the  encounter.  The  man  who  receives  it  gasps 
for  breath,  and  probably  staggers  back,  laying  himself 
open  to  another  blow  given  as  you  please — at  the 


ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE  149 

side  of  his  jaw.  It  is  extremely  painful,  this  throat 
blow,  and  if  you  happen  to  receive  it  yourself  you 
should  cover  up  with  both  hands  and  get  away  for 
a  moment  or  two  if  possible.  In  order  to  land  it,  you 
should  feint  with  the  left  at  your  opponent's  head  in 
order  to  make  him  throw  it  back  to  avoid  the  blow. 
Then  step  in  a  little  closer  and  send  the  left  home 
well  under  his  chin. 

Remember  always  in  a  street  fight  a  man  who 
has  some  knowledge  of  boxing,  but  does  not  mean 
to  use  it  fairly,  will  try  and  drive  you  up  to  a  wall 
and  hit  your  head  back  against  it,  if  he  can.  The 
consequence  of  that  is  obvious  ;  so  always  try  to  keep 
in  the  open.  Do  not  waste  time  in  hitting  your  man 
about  the  head  if  he  ducks  low  :  it  will  not  hurt  him, 
and  you  may  damage  your  knuckles.  In  the  same 
way,  unless  he  has  no  coat  or  waistcoat  on,  be  chary 
of  hitting  him  in  the  body.  Buttons  or  a  watch 
chain  may  do  considerable  damage  to  your  knuckles, 
especially  when  repeatedly  hit.  Of  course  you  must 
not  leave  his  body  alone — particularly  if  the  man  is 
a  fat  or  a  flabby  one.  But  make  sure  that  when  you 
do  hit  him  there  that  the  blow  is  a  really  hard  one, 
carefully  timed.  With  the  hooligan  type  you  should 
make  a  point  of  avoiding  his  mouth.  Dangerous 
cases  of  blood-poisoning  have  resulted  from  knuckles 
cut  on  the  teeth  of  this  sort  of  man.  Aim  for  his  jaw, 
his  throat,  and  his  temples  in  particular. 

With  the  man  who  fights  **all  in,"  as  the  saying 
goes,  who  will  employ  any  means  of  hurting  you  from 
half  a  brick  to  a  knee  in  your  stomach,  you  must  be 
more  vigilant.     This  kind  of  man  will  often  charge 


I50  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

with  his  head  down,  trying  to  butt  the  wind  out  of 
you.  The  ordinary  boxer  will  naturally  regard  this 
as  a  first-class  opportunity  for  an  upper  cut.  So  it  is. 
But  you  need  something  much  more  damaging  than 
that.  It  is  not  the  slightest  good  being  quixotic  on 
such  an  occasion.  You  must  stop  the  man  as  best 
you  may.  The  thing  to  do  in  this  instance  is  to  wait 
for  him,  and  as  he  comes  in  bring  your  right  leg  up 
in  a  level  with  the  left,  and  lift  your  knee  with  all 
your  power  into  his  face.  Your  fists  should  then 
get  a  chance  of  completing  the  good  work  in  the 
next  second.  By  the  same  mark,  never  lower  your 
own  head  in  case  your  opponent  may  remember  his 
knees. 

Then  there  is  the  ruffian  who  tries  to  kick  your 
shins.  That  is  easily  stopped  if  you  can  keep  a  cool 
head,  and,  as  before,  wait  for  him.  Lift  your  foot  off 
the  ground  six  inches  or  so,  and  the  fellow's  own  shin 
will  come  into  violent  contact  with  the  toe  of  your 
boot.  More  dangerous  is  he  who  pretends  to  fight 
with  his  fists  and  suddenly  kicks  out  sideways  at 
your  stomach.  Of  course  the  most  serious  injuries 
may  be  caused  in  that  way  :  but  if  you  are  quick 
enough — and  the  best  of  boxing  is  that  it  makes 
you  alert  to  perceive  this  sort  of  thing  as  well  as  the 
fair  manoeuvres  of  the  ring — if  you  are  quick  enough 
then  you  can  step  back  half  a  pace,  snatch  your 
opponent's  leg  as  it  rises,  and  by  an  upward  jerk 
throw  him  down. 

In  any  sort  of  street  fight,  however,  do  not  be  led 
into  wrestling  unless  you  are  an  expert  at  it ;  and 
keep  to  long  range  hitting,  waiting  your  chance  for 


A  STREET   FIGHT.      THE  THROAT   BLOW    IS    (IIVEN    MUCH|.MORE    EFFPX- 
TIVELY   WITH    THE   NAKED    FIST   THAN   WITH   A   GLOVE 

(see  page  14S,  c.j.  page  7,  Hi) 


ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE  151 

a  punishing  blow.     Little  blows  are  of  no  use.     It  is 
far  better  to  hit  seldom  and  with  all  your  might. 

With  the  type  of  man  already  referred  to  who 
stops  at  nothing,  who  stoops  to  anything,  it  never 
does  to  run  any  risks  at  all.  If,  for  example,  you  get 
your  head  into  "chancery" — an  expression  now  obsolete 
as  regards  boxing — you  are  likely  to  be  severely 
handled.  The  origin  of  the  phrase  is  fairly  obvious. 
Having  once  got  into  actual  Chancery  there  is  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  getting  out  again.  Getting 
your  head  into  chancery  is  caused  by  ducking  too  low 
past  your  opponent's  left,  so  that  he  can  bring  his 
arm  back  quickly  and  hold  your  head  beneath  it. 
True  that  by  this  means  he  cannot  hurt  you  much 
in  the  ordinary  way  as  your  face  is  protected  by  his 
body,  and  your  left  will  be  free  to  guard  your  own  : 
but  he  may  throw  you  badly,  or  he  may  inflict  much 
punishment  by  kidney  blows. 

The  best  way  to  get  out  of  chancery  is  to  hit  at 
your  opponent's  ''  mark  "  with  your  left  as  hard  as  you 
can,  at  the  same  time  getting  your  left  heel  behind 
his.  It  is  not  the  least  use  pulling  with  your  head  : 
but  if  you  are  strong  enough  you  may  be  able  to 
loosen  your  antagonist's  grasp  by  forcing  up  his  left 
arm  with  your  right  hand.  But  in  street  fighting  you 
should  make  it  a  rule  never  to  get  near  enough  to 
your  opponent  to  allow  the  possibility  of  chancery. 
In  boxing,  to  grip  a  man's  head  under  your  arm  is 
just  like  any  other  form  of  holding — a  matter  to  be 
dealt  with  instantly  by  the  referee. 

There  is  another  kind  of  antagonist  more  fre- 
quently to  be  met  with  than  any  other  in  a  street 


152  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

row,  and  that  is  the  drunken  man.  He  may  be  by 
practice  a  fair  boxer  or  no  boxer  at  all,  or  a  "  kick 
and  half-brick"  man.  But  when  drunk — all  types 
when  thoroughly  drunk  have  this  in  common — it  is 
extremely  difficult  to  hurt  him.  His  sensibilities  are 
deadened.  His  Dutch  courage  is  heroic  ;  and  though 
it  is  but  Dutch  courage  it  serves  its  purpose.  Men 
like  this  are  easy  enough  to  knock  down  as  a  rule, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  standing  at  all  is  a  con- 
siderable trouble  to  them.  But  unless  they  are  very 
far  gone  in  drink  they  will  rise,  little  the  worse  for 
the  fall,  and  make  for  you  again.  It  is  always 
disgusting  to  hit  a  drunken  man,  but  it  frequently 
has  to  be  done — and  it  is  as  well  to  remember  how 
difficult  it  is  to  make  any  impression  on  him. 

An  instance  of  this  once  came  within  the 
writer's  experience.  Some  boys  walking  on  a  heath 
near  one  of  the  public  schools  were  stopped  by  a 
farm  bailiff  and  accused — wrongly,  as  a  matter  of 
detail — of  trespassing.  They  bandied  words  with 
him.  The  bailiff  was  a  big  fellow,  excessively  in- 
toxicated. He  chose  one  of  the  boys,  quite  arbi- 
trarily, seized  him  by  the  throat,  threw  him  to  the 
ground,  and  fell  atop  of  him.  He  was  too  drunk  to 
keep  his  hold,  and  with  the  help  of  another  boy 
pulling  at  the  fellow's  coat-tails,  the  first  contrived  to 
wriggle  from  under  him.  But  he  was  scarcely  on  his 
feet  before  the  bailiff  had  risen  too.  Whereupon  the 
rest  of  the  boys  formed  a  circle  round  the  pair  and 
cried  out  for  a  fair  fight. 

The  ground  was  level  and  grassy ;  the  light, 
though  failing,  was  sufficient.     Quite  by  chance  the 


ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE  153 

bailiff  had  picked  out  the  one  boy  in  the  group  who 
had  a  certain  knowledge  of  boxing.  The  latter  led 
with  his  left,  the  former  ponderously  swung.  The 
boy  stepped  aside,  and  sent  home  a  right  hook  on 
the  man's  jaw.  He  went  down,  groaned  a  little, 
stirred,  rose  again.  Three  times  the  boy  knocked 
the  bailiff  down  without  himself  receiving  a  single 
blow.  Of  course  the  average  schoolboy  of  seventeen, 
weighing  not  more  than  ten  stone,  cannot  hit  like  a 
hardened  pugilist ;  but  his  blows  must  have  some 
power  behind  them.  However,  they  made  no  im- 
pression on  his  drunken  antagonist.  After  the  last 
knock-down  the  man  found  a  big  stone  on  the  ground 
with  which  he  tried  to  batter  the  lad.  Slipping  past 
him,  the  latter  wisely  retreated,  watching  the  fellow's 
blundering  movements. 

Finally,  dodging  behind  a  bush,  he  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  the  drunken  bailiff  stagger  off 
into  an  adjacent  wood,  believing  he  was  still  upon  the 
schoolboy's  tracks.  Provided  there  is  nobody  else  to 
suffer,  nothing  is  to  be  gained  by  standing  up  to  a 
man  who  tries  to  break  your  head  with  stones.  And 
if  you  cannot  disable  or  stop  an  opponent  of  this  kind, 
the  best  thing  is  to  exercise  a  wise  discretion  (it  may 
be  the  better  part  of  valour,  but  that's  not  the  point), 
and  retreat  in  good  order. 

Fiction  and  the  annals  of  fact  abound  in  stories 
of  poetic  justice,  where  a  bully  has  been  thrashed. 
Boxers  as  a  rule  are  quiet  and  peaceful  people,  because 
they  learn  to  be  self-reliant :  and  it  is  usually  the  man 
who  is  uncertain  of  himself  who  talks  most  loudly  and 
is  rudest.    N  ot  having  any  tangible  qualities  of  strength 


154  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

or  other  excellence,  such  a  man  is  insolent  to  strangers 
in  the  hope  of  impressing  them  with  his  importance. 
Unfortunately,  he  often  succeeds.  Now  and  again, 
however,  it  happens  that  he  insults  the  wrong  man, 
and  his  arrogance  is,  at  all  events  temporarily, 
obliterated. 

Borrow  in  The  Romany  Rye  tells  a  story  of  a 
bragging  and  hectoring  coachman.  There  is  a  feeling 
at  the  present  time  (probably  fostered  by  charming 
pictures  in  Christmas  Supplements),  that  the  old- 
fashioned  drivers  of  fours-in-hand  were  bluff  and 
genial  fellows,  fond  of  their  joke,  and  kind.  George 
Borrow  has  little  good  to  say  of  them,  however.  The 
man  of  whom  he  writes  on  this  occasion  had  been 
particularly  offensive  to  a  mild-looking,  elderly  man 
who  sat  behind  him.  The  latter  was  obviously  not 
well-to-do,  and  therefore  an  unlikely  victim  to  such 
wiles  of  jocularity  as  the  driver  had  at  his  disposal. 

Nevertheless — *'  Remember  the  coachman,"  said 
the  knight  of  the  box  to  the  elderly  man  when  he 
alighted. 

"If  you  expect  me  to  give  you  anything,"  said  he, 
"you  are  mistaken  :  I  will  give  you  nothing." 

Then  began  the  coachman  to  boast  of  his  noble 
friends  with  whom,  he  assured  those  present,  he 
was  wont  to  hobnob,  and  of  the  princely  sums  they 
bestowed  upon  him.  Later  on  the  old  man  lit  his 
pipe  and  went  for  a  stroll ;  and  happening  to  pass  the 
coachman,  allowed  some  smoke  to  blow  in  his  face. 

''What  do  you  mean  by  smoking  in  my  face?" 
said  the  latter,  and  struck  the  old  chap's  pipe  out  of 
his  mouth. 


ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE  155 

The  mild  old  man  silently  picked  up  his  pipe,  and 
took  off  his  coat  and  hat,  rubbed  his  hands  together, 
and  advanced  on  the  coachman  in  an  attitude  of 
offence. 

"  The  coachman,  who  probably  expected  anything 
but  such  a  movement  from  a  person  of  the  age  and 
appearance  of  the  individual  whom  he  had  insulted, 
stood  for  a  moment  motionless  with  surprise,  but,  re- 
collecting himself,  he  pointed  at  him  derisively  with 
his  finger ;  the  next  moment,  however,  the  other  was 
close  upon  him,  had  struck  aside  the  extended  hand 
with  his  left  fist,  and  given  him  a  severe  blow  on  the 
nose  with  his  right,  which  he  immediately  followed 
with  a  left  hand  blow  to  the  eye ;  then,  drawing  his 
body  slightly  backward,  with  the  velocity  of  lightning, 
he  struck  the  coachman  full  in  the  mouth,  and  the 
last  blow  was  the  severest  of  all,  for  it  cut  the  coach- 
man's  lips    nearly  through ;    blows    so    quickly   and 
sharply  dealt    I    have   never  seen.      The  coachman 
reeled  like  a  fir-tree  in  a  gale,  and  seemed  nearly  un- 
sensed.  .  .  .  The    coachman,    coming   somewhat   to 
himself,  disencumbered  himself  of  his  hat  and  coat, 
and,  encouraged  by  two  or  three  of  his  brothers  of  the 
whip,  showed  some  symptoms  of  fighting,  endeavouring 
to  close  with  his  foe,  but  the  attempt  was  vain,  his 
foe  was  not  to  be  closed  with  :    he  did  not  shift  or 
dodge  about  but  warded  off  the  blows  of  his  opponent 
with  the  greatest  sang-froid,  always  using  the  guard 
which   I   have  described,   and  putting  in,  in  return, 
short,  chopping  blows  with  the  swiftness  of  lightning. 
In  a  very  few  minutes  the  countenance  of  the  coach- 
man was  literally  cut  to  pieces,  and  several  of  his 


156  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

teeth  were  dislodged ;  at  length  he  gave  In ;  stung 
with  mortification,  however,  he  repented  and  asked 
for  another  round.  It  was  granted  to  his  own  complete 
demolition  ..." 

It  is,  of  course,  dangerous  to  presume  on  a  know- 
ledge of  boxing,  and  it  can  generally  be  said  for 
boxers  that  they  seldom  do  so  presume.  But  it  is 
much  more  dangerous  to  presume  on  the  superiority 
of  mere  strength,  as  the  following  instance  will 
show. 

Two  big  school-boys  had  a  minor  quarrel.  One 
was  a  boxer,  the  other  was  prodigiously  strong  and 
despised  boxing.  He  believed  that  to  hit  a  fellow  in 
a  calculating  way,  with  systematic  intent,  was  to  take 
a  mean  advantage.  And  having  the  courage  of  his 
opinions  he  challenged  the  boxer  to  fight. 

*'  We  will  see,"  said  he,  "  what  boxing  can  do 
against  strength."  To  boast  in  that  manner  is  to  ask 
for  trouble,  as  the  saying  goes.  Professional  boxers 
and  even  amateurs  occasionally  tell  their  prospective 
antagonists  exactly  what  they  mean  to  do  to  them, 
but  that  is  commonly  part  of  a  deliberate  plan.  Most 
unfortunately  for  moralists  there  Is  real  power  In  the 
strength  of  a  loud  boast,  because  In  a  credulous  world 
people  are  very  liable  to  be  taken  at  their  own  valua- 
tion. In  this  case  the  boxer  made  no  retort,  partly 
because  he  was  by  no  means  sure  that  he  could  over- 
come the  strong  boy.  So  he  merely  accepted  the 
challenge,  and  for  the  rest  remained  silent.  The 
astonishing  fact  of  a  mill  at  a  usual  public  school  at 
the  end  of  the  nineteenth  century  would  have  been 
too  eccentric  for  wide  approval,  it  was  thought,  and 


ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE  157 

so  the  two  combatants  retired  to  a  distant  and 
secluded  field  where  there  was  no  chance  of  in- 
terruption. 

The  fight  opened  with  caution  on  both  sides.  The 
boxer  naturally  waited  to  see  what  his  adversary  would 
do,  how  he  would  leave  himself  open,  and  what  was 
the  best  method  of  attacking  :  the  other,  plucky  as  he 
was  strong,  took  an  almost  scientific  interest  in  ob- 
serving how  a  boxer  looks  when  he  shapes  up  to  you. 
Then  he  tried  a  wild  swing  which,  if  it  had  landed, 
would  have  settled  the  dispute  then  and  there.  But 
as  is  the  way  with  wild  swings  it  failed  to  land,  and 
the  attacker  looked  about  him  in  some  surprise, 
because  when  he  hit  his  opponent  simply  wasn't 
there.  This  process  was  repeated  several  times. 
The  boxer  never  attempted  to  land  a  blow,  and  after 
a  while  the  strong  boy  closed  and  tried  wrestling. 
The  boxer  hung  limp  in  his  arms  and  allowed  him- 
self to  be  pushed  over ;  a  dangerous  thing  to  do  by 
the  way,  as  a  heavy  throw  may  do  more  damage  than 
many  hits.  After  that  they  rested  for  a  moment  or 
two  by  mutual  agreement. 

Now  the  ground  where  they  were  fighting  sloped 
considerably,  and  the  boy  who  had  hitherto  done  all 
the  work  (thereby  tiring  himself)  was  rather  clever, 
he  thought,  in  always  manoeuvring  so  that  his 
opponent  was  below  him.  Early  in  the  second  round, 
he  charged  down  upon  his  man,  both  arms  whirling, 
hoping,  and  indeed  expecting,  to  beat  him  down  by 
sheer  force.  The  boxer  remained  perfectly  still  on 
the  lower  ground;  and  just  when  his  man  came 
within    reach,    extended    his  left  straight   from    the 


158  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

shoulder,  at  the  same  time  moving  his  left  foot  for- 
ward. His  fist  took  his  charging  antagonist  precisely 
on  the  bridge  of  the  nose.  The  latter  abruptly  sat 
down. 

That  was  a  one-blow  victory — one  synthetic,  irre- 
sistible, unimprovable  blow,  as  M.  Maeterlinck  would 
say  !  There  was  no  question  of  continuing  the  fight. 
The  nose  was  broken  and  crooked.  The  boy  whose 
strength  had  been  his  pride  had  to  cast  about  for 
something  more  reliable  to  be  proud  of,  and  in  the 
mean  time  bore  a  not  very  plausible  tale  to  the  school 
doctor  about  running  up  against  a  tree. 

The  opportunity  most  likely  to  arise  where  a  boxer 
may  be  useful  is  when  he  sees  some  ruffian  ill-treating 
a  woman,  a  child,  or  an  animal.  In  the  first  of  these 
cases  the  rescuer  must  always  bear  in  mind  that  he 
runs  a  grave  risk  of  being  stabbed  with  a  bonnet  pin. 
Women  of  the  class  referred  to  cannot  endure  the 
least  interference  with  their  concerns :  and  after  all 
a  fight  with  your  husband  is  quite  a  private  and 
familiar  matter.  Moreover,  women  of  this  kind  are 
usually  well  able  to  take  care  of  themselves. 

There  was,  however,  a  case  where  a  man  walking 
through  a  mean  street  could  not  hold  himself  in  check. 
A  big  brute  had  got  a  woman  on  to  her  knees  and, 
holding  her  by  the  throat  with  one  hand,  was  hitting 
her  with  the  other.  As  usual  there  was  a  small 
crowd  of  interested  and  amused  spectators,  who  would 
not  stir  a  hand  to  help  her.  Not  wishing  to  soil  his 
hands  on  such  vermin,  the  passer-by  went  up  to  the 
inhuman  beast  and  deliberately  kicked  him  with  all  his 
might  and  a  thick  boot.    The  man  let  go  of  his  wife  (or 


ACTUAL  SELF-DEFENCE  159 

someone  else's  wife,  as  the  case  may  be),  took  off  his 
coat,  squared  up  to  his  antagonist,  and  said  quietly 
and  with  menace  :  *'  You  do  that  again." 

So  he  did  it  again.     And  the  man  put  on  his  coat 
and  walked  away. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
PROFESSIONAL   BOXING 

"  Damn  that  fellow,  I  say  to  your  face, 
Who  has  plenty  of  blunt  in  his  cly, 
Who'd  push  an  honest  man  out  of  his  place, 
Or  to  take  from  him  his  living  would  try." 

BEFORE  definitely  determining  upon  a  profes- 
sional boxing  career,  a  man  or  rather  boy — 
for  he  has  to  begin  very  young — must  be 
told  plainly  and  without  mincing  matters  what  it  is 
that  he  will  have  to  undergo. 

He  should  know,  in  the  first  place,  that  there  is 
always  a  fair  chance  for  genuine  merit,  a  fairer  chance 
than  in  any  other  sport  by  which  a  man  may  live.  A 
boxer  literally  stands  or  falls  by  his  own  endeavour, 
absolutely  and  entirely.  There  is  hardly  any  oppor- 
tunity for  favouritism.  A  really  good  boxer  cannot 
be  suppressed.  He  is  bound  to  fight  his  way  to  the 
top,  if  he  does  not  play  the  fool.  All  that  is  by  way 
of  encouragement. 

In  the  second  place,  the  boxer  should  have  it 
clearly  put  before  him  that  while  there  is  always  a 
chance  of  a  big  ultimate  reward,  there  are  very  few 
who  get  it ;  that  there  is  a  strong  chance  of  finishing 
a  boxing  career  in  comparative  obscurity  ;  that  the 
fighting  life  is  a  short  one — that  is  to  say,  a  boxer  of 

i6o 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  i6i 

five-and-thirty  is  reckoned  a  veteran.  Lastly,  without 
any  exception  at  all,  it  is  the  most  self-denying,  frugal, 
and  the  hardest  life  that  a  man  can  lead.  For  a 
professional  must  train  far  more  severely  than  an 
amateur.  He  is  far  more  severely  tried.  He  should 
always  be  fit.  And  the  boxer  who  fights  his  battle, 
goes  out  of  training  at  top  speed,  and  then  has  to  get 
back  again  into  condition  for  another  contest,  will  not 
last  long. 

But  at  the  outset  the  novice  must  discover  whether 
he  has  any  real  aptitude  and  talent.  There  are  plenty 
of  boys — sixteen  or  seventeen  years  of  age — who 
think  they  would  like  to  be  boxers,  hardy  lads,  willing 
to  undergo  the  strain,  risk  the  disappointments,  and 
give  up  everything  else  for  their  chances  in  the  ring. 
But  they  must  find  out  if  they  have  in  them  the 
makings  of  a  boxer.  Their  best  course  is  to  be  tried 
by  a  professional  of  acknowledged  standing.  There 
are  always  plenty  of  these  to  be  found  who  will  only 
too  gladly  put  on  the  gloves  with  a  youngster  and  tell 
him  straightly  what  he  is  worth.  And  if,  after  a  few 
trials,  it  is  decided  that  he  is  worth  something  as  a 
boxer,  the  next  thing  to  do  is  to  join  one  of  the 
numerous  clubs,  to  box  regularly,  to  keep  in  training, 
and  to  further  physical  development  in  the  right  direc- 
tions. The  novice  must  eschew  irregular  combats 
before  he  has  been  put  through  his  paces,  and  above 
all,  in  the  meantime,  stick  to  the  trade  in  which  he 
was  originally  set.  No  boxer,  save  one  in  the  first 
rank,  can  afford  to  be  a  boxer  only. 

And  then  when  he  has  been  taught  a  good  deal, 
and  has   continued   to   forget   his   primitive   notions 
II 


1 62  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

(without  having  which  he  would  never  have  wanted 
to  be  a  pugilist),  he  should  enter  for  his  club  competi- 
tions. If  he  proves  successful,  he  will  not  want  for 
shrewd  people  ready  to  push  him  into  prominence. 

The  best  opening  of  all,  after  he  has  learnt  a  little, 
is  a  novices'  competition  at  the  National  Sporting 
Club.  Every  aspiring  boxer  knows  that  here,  without 
the  possibility  of  doubt,  he  will  receive  fair  play.  He 
knows  that  no  man  who  fights  **  on  the  cross  " — who 
goes  down  without  a  blow  because  he  has  been  bought 
— is  allowed  at  the  club.  To  be  seen  there  fairly 
often  is  the  best  ''character"  that  a  boxer  can  have. 
It  is  the  only  existing  institution  of  its  kind  whose 
name  alone  essentially  connotes  the  best  boxing  and 
absolutely  straightforward  dealing.  If  the  committee 
of  the  National  Sporting  Club  once  take  a  man  up 
and  find  that  he  justifies  their  confidence,  it  will  be 
(saving  sheer  bad  luck)  his  own  fault  if  he  ever  looks 
back. 

If  the  novice  is  big,  there  is  always  a  better  opening 
for  him  than  for  other  men.  Bantams,  feathers,  and 
light-weights  are  plentiful.  Good  middle-weights 
are  comparatively  scarce.  Good  heavy-weights  are 
very  rare  indeed.  They  are  always  needed.  And 
any  novice  (of  thirteen  stone  and  upwards  especi- 
ally) who  mingles  strength  and  agility  with  his 
weight,  will  be  sure  of  a  good  opportunity  of  realizing 
himself. 

Before  a  satisfactory  settlement  was  arrived  at  a 
few  years  ago,  the  standard  weights  for  champion- 
ships formed  a  subject  of  constant  bickering.  I  f  a  man, 
say,  of  nine  stone  two  and  a  half  pounds  called  himself 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  163 

champion  at  that  weight,  he  could  :  and  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  thrashed  by  some  one  half  a  pound 
heavier  or  lighter,  as  the  case  might  be,  made  no 
difference  in  his  own  estimation.  If  some  people  had 
their  way  the  roll  of  boxers,  both  English  and  American, 
would  have  been  as  full  of  champions  as  the  Haytian 
army  is  of  generals.  There  would  have  been  a 
championship  for  every  ounce  between  seven  stone 
and  fourteen.  So  eight  weights  were  agreed  upon  by 
the  committee  of  the  National  Sporting  Club — fly, 
bantam,  feather,  light,  welter,  middle,  light-heavy, 
and  heavy-weights :  and  for  these  challenge  belts 
were  given  by  Lord  Lonsdale,  President  of  the 
N.  S.  C. 

The  rules  governing  these  weights  and  the  holding 
of  the  belts  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix  (iii.). 

The  better  sort  of  British  boxer  is  a  fine  fellow,  a 
good  and  chivalrous  sportsman.  So  was  the  old  time 
prize-fighter  ;  and  the  latter  was  a  tougher  man — he 
had  to  be.  But  on  an  average  it  is  doubtful  whether 
he  had  as  much  brains ;  he  relied  more  upon  his 
seconds  ;  he  was  usually  a  rougher  diamond. 

Can  a  man  earn  his  livelihood  by  means  of  a  sport, 
and  yet  uphold  the  highest  tradition  of  that  sport  ? 
He  can,  but  he  very  often  does  not.  There  are 
obviously  fair  boxers  and  obviously  unfair  boxers,  but 
the  latter  never  rise  to  eminence.  An  unfair  boxer, 
one  who  is  constantly  breaking  rules  and  fighting  foul, 
can  never  hope  to  succeed.  Unfortunately,  however, 
there  are  many  men  who  are  unsporting  boxers  ;  that 
is  to  say,  they  are  bound  by  the  rules,  and  they  know 
it.     But   anything   that  they  can  do   for  which   the 


1 64  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

referee  is  unable  to  call  them  to  order,  they  will  do. 
This  type  of  man  would  commit  any  foul  if  he  could 
make  sure  of  the  referee  not  observing  him — happily, 
a  rare  contingency. 

"  Yer  mustn't  do  that,"  said  an  old  pug  once  to  a 
pupil  who  had  hit  him  with  his  elbow,  *'  it  don't  pay. 
'Sides  the  referee  might  see  yen" 

So  to  that  kind  of  professional  the  referee  is  simply 
a  policeman  and  a  natural  enemy.  To  the  scrupulous 
boxer  he  is  not  a  minion,  but  a  giver  of  the  law.  The 
man  who  fights  fair  trusts  the  referee  to  uphold  his 
fairness,  to  take  stock  of  his  endeavours,  to  sum  up 
the  difference  between  him  and  his  antagonist. 

**  Business  is  business,"  the  unsporting  boxer  says 
to  himself  and  to  his  critics.  He  has  to  earn  his 
living,  he  will  assure  you,  and  he  must  do  it  by  all  the 
means  in  his  power.  If  his  opponent  is  such  a  fool  as 
not  to  take  similar  advantages,  that  is  his  look  out. 
And  there  are  numerous  tricks  by  means  of  which  a 
boxer  may  gain  an  unfair  advantage,  and  for  which  a 
referee  will  have  difficulty  in  finding  a  remedy. 

For  cool  impertinence  and  low  cunning  it  is  hard 
to  beat  the  following  incident.  In  an  unimportant 
contest  (it  was  not  at  any  well-known  boxing  resort), 
a  very  modern  young  boxer  was  opposed  to  an  old- 
fashioned  veteran — one  of  that  sturdy  race  with  all 
the  hall-marks  of  his  trade  upon  him ;  a  good 
humoured,  thick-eared,  flat  and  indiarubber-faced 
fighter,  who  in  his  day  had  stood  up  and  milled  with 
his  bare  knuckles.  His  antagonist  was  a  sleek,  pasty- 
faced  youth,  with  long  dank  hair  flapping  on  his  fore- 
head,   and   a   shifty   eye.     He   crouched,    he   struck 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  165 

ludicrous  attitudes,  and  he  talked.  He  had  probably 
tried  to  model  himself  on  Tommy  Burns,  without 
having  the  Canadian's  pluck  or  real  generalship. 
But  in  a  sense  he  was  a  good  boxer — **  clever  "  is  the 
word  used  nowadays.  But  he  was  unable  to  make 
any  impression  on  the  old  bruiser.  In  the  third  round 
he  stood  away,  deliberately  put  his  hands  on  his  hips, 
and  laughed. 

**Arn't  you  goin'  to  hit  me,  old  soul?"  he  asked. 
"  Put  it  here."     And  he  indicated  his  own  "mark." 

The  referee  immediately  leaned  forward. 

*'  Don't  play  the  fool,"  he  said.     **  Box." 

It  was  at  exactly  the  same  moment  that  the 
veteran,  a  slow-witted  fellow,  sprang  forward  to  take 
advantage  of  his  adversary's  position.  If  he  chose  to 
lower  his  hands,  he  must  take  the  consequences. 
But  hearing  the  referee's  voice,  and  not  immediately 
gathering  the  purport  of  what  he  said,  the  old  bruiser 
himself  paused,  with  his  hands  half  raised.  Ten 
seconds  later,  his  disconsolate  seconds  were  hurrying 
into  the  ring  to  pick  up  his  unconscious  form. 

The  ''clever"  youth  had  foreseen  it  all.  He 
knew  his  antagonist  would  try — vainly  enough,  no 
doubt — but  still  try  to  take  the  obvious  opportunity  : 
and  he  knew  that  the  referee  would  be  annoyed  by 
his  ape-like  trick,  and  would  speak  about  it.  And  the 
chances  were  that  his  opponent  would  misunderstand 
the  official  order  and  be  flurried.  Thus  he  had  a 
perfectly  clear  and  free  opening  for  a  knock-out  blow. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  done.  Obviously  it  was 
the  old  stager's  own  fault.  A  more  experienced 
referee  would  have  ordered  the  men  to  stop  boxing 


1 66  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

before  he  made  any  comment.  Then  if  the  younger 
man  had  hit,  it  would  have  been  foul.  As  it  was, 
he  was  within  the  letter  of  the  rule. 

This  ''  mouth-fighting" — talking  to  your  opponent, 
jabbering  absurd  threats  during  the  progress  of  a 
round  has — like  many  other  undesirable  characteristics 
in  the  modern  boxer — been  largely  imported  from 
the  United  States.  Quite  a  number  of  American 
boxers  find,  presumably,  that  talking  succeeds.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  liable  to  "put  off"  a  simple-minded 
opponent.  Another  dodge  is  to  stamp  fiercely  on 
the  ground  and  glare  balefully.  But  these  things 
are  not  too  seriously  to  be  considered.  What  matters 
a  great  deal  more  is  the  style  of  boxing  which  some- 
times leaves  the  ablest  referee  in  doubt.  A  man 
starts  in-fighting,  battering  away  at  the  body :  in 
order  to  protect  his  own  head  the  while  he  sinks  it 
upon  his  opponent'sc  best :  then  he  butts  him  in  the 
jaw.  If  the  referee  sees  that  and  has  doubts  about 
the  intention,  he  warns  the  man  ;  if  the  latter  persists, 
he  disqualifies  him.  But  if  the  man  who  is  butted 
has  his  back  to  the  referee  for  the  moment,  it  is  not 
always  possible  to  see  what  happens.  He  can  appeal 
to  the  referee,  but  he  may  be  endangering  himself 
by  doing  so.  Then  there  is  a  species  of  in-fighting 
which  approaches  so  near  to  hitting  in  holds  that  the 
two  are  well-nigh  indistinguishable. 

One  of  the  most  pernicious  influences  in  modern 
professional  boxing  is  the  cinematograph.  Practically 
every  important  match  nowadays  is  photographed, 
that  the  whole  world  may  see  the  films  at  some  future 
time.     The  principals  in  the  match  acquire  an  interest 


GUARDING   A   RKiHT    SWING.      TUK    POSITION   OF   THE    STRIKER'S    HAND 
IS  RIGHT:  INJURIES   TO  THE  THUMB   RESULT  FROM   NOT  TURNING  THE 

KNUCKLES   SUFFICIENTLY    FAR   OVER 

(see  page  S4) 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  167 

— a  very  substantial  one  too — in  the  cinematograph 
shows  of  their  match.  The  proportion  is  a  matter 
of  private  arrangement.  The  winner  may  have  a 
certain  high  percentage,  the  loser  a  considerably  less 
one — ^just  as  the  prize  money  is,  or  should  be,  divided. 
What  happens  in  a  one-sided  encounter?  A  can 
easily  beat  B,  and  knows  it.  From  the  moment 
they  have  entered  the  ring  he  is  certain  that  he  can 
knock  him  out  at  any  given  moment  that  suits  his 
caprice.  And  if  boxing  is  to  be  a  sport  and  not  a 
theatrical  sham,  A  ought  to  beat  B  as  quickly  as  he 
is  able.  But  what  would  the  public  say  ?  Only  two 
or  three  rounds  ?  How  dull,  how  disappointing ! 
No.  A  must  keep  up  the  pretence  for  a  while,  for 
twelve  or  fifteen  rounds  even,  to  please  the  outside 
public.  For,  if  they  do  not  get  what  they  consider 
and  call  their  money's  worth,  they  will  not  patronize 
the  cinematograph  show.  And  then  there  will  be^no 
profits  to  speak  of  for  A, 

That  is  one  venomous  element  in  the  commercial 
side  of  professional  boxing.  Another  is  the  pre- 
posterous sums  which  certain  boxers  insist  on  for  a 
prize.  The  magnitude  of  the  reward  can  scarcely  be 
cavilled  at.  In  this  case  the  supply  creates  the 
demand  to  a  certain  extent.  If  people  once  subscribe 
large  sums  for  a  contest,  a  man  who  earns  his  living 
with  his  fists  will,  reasonably  enough,  insist  upon 
continuing  to  have  a  big  prize. 

What  is  utterly  beyond  reason,  however,  is  when 
A — a  boxer  with  a  great  name — insists  upon  a 
certain  sum  being  paid  to  him — "win,  lose,  or  draw." 
Quite  apart  from  any  idea  of  sport,  that  has  not  even 


1 68  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

the  essence  of  good  commerce  in  it.  It  is  an  arrogant 
and  absurd  condition;  and  the  pity  is  that  such  a 
clause  in  an  agreement  can  be  tolerated.  What  it 
means  is  simply  this  : — A  has  achieved  notoriety  and 
means  to  make  the  world  pay  for  it.  The  world  is 
exceedingly  anxious  for  him  to  be  matched  with  B. 
B  is  willing  because  he  will  probably  beat  A,  and 
may  possibly  take  his  place  as  a  man  to  demand 
enormous  rewards.  A  procrastinates :  he  has  got  to 
work  up  the  world's  anticipation  ;  he  wants  to  bring 
people  into  that  condition  when  they  would  be  griev- 
ously disappointed  if  the  match  did  not  come  off. 
He  feigns  complete  indifference  towards  it.  Of  course 
he  can  beat  B  he  tells  the  papers  :  but  that's  not  the 
point.     All  his  conditions  must  be  complied  with. 

All  the  time  he  means  to  fight,  win  or  lose.  He 
is  no  physical  coward  and  can  take  a  thrashing  with 
the  best — if  it  is  made  worth  his  while.  Or  he  may 
be  a  certain  winner,  and  B  may  be  not  too  willing 
to  join  issue ;  but  fearful  of  not  doing  so  lest  his 
prestige  should  suffer.  At  each  delay  the  world, 
who  might  well  be  interesting  itself  in  something 
rather  more  promising  and  profitable,  works  itself  into 
a  condition  of  frenzy.  Any  concession  will  be  made 
rather  than  lose  the  great  fight.  So  the  question  of 
money  is  settled. 

Then  A  (or  perhaps — certainly  in  some  cases — 
one  should  substitute  for  A,  his  manager  and 
backers)  invents  another  excuse  for  postponing  the 
battle.  He  won't  agree  to  box  at  such  and  such  a 
place  ;  or  to  accept  the  ruling  of  So  and  So  as  referee. 
Finally,  the  world  gets  tired  of  it  all  and  the  contest 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  169 

is  arranged,  and — if  the  sentimental  party  have  not 
in  the  meantime  worked  on  the  world's  feelings  and 
throttled  negotiations  —  it  takes  place.  Then  A 
formally  retires  from  the  ring,  circularizes  the  papers 
with  one  final  advertisement  of  his  new  occupation, 
makes  an  arrangement  with  the  proprietors  of  a 
patent  medicine  which  serves  the  purposes  of  both, 
and  disappears  for  a  time.  In  a  few  months  he 
crops  up  again ;  ostensibly  persuaded  by  his  friends, 
really  in  fulfilment  of  his  programme.  The  means 
by  which  such  a  boxer  plays  upon  the  world's  patience, 
by  which  indeed  he  originally  gains  most  of  his 
notoriety,  is  the  vulgarest  kind  of  press  campaign. 
And  the  worst  of  it  is  that  once  the  man  in  question 
has  forced  himself  to  be  an  object  of  public  interest, 
the  more  reputable  newspapers  cannot  ignore  him. 
They  are  heartily  disgusted,  and  show  it  plainly 
enough ;  but,  however  unwillingly,  they  perpetuate 
the  advertisement. 

It  is  all  very  ludicrous,  and  it  is  not  boxing. 

The  foregoing  career,  invented,  but  not  in  the 
smallest  degree  exaggerated,  is  typical  of  the  present 
day.  And  it  has  been  dealt  with  at  some  length  to 
show  where  a  genuine  danger  to  the  sport  lies. 
And  the  huge  sums  forthcoming  for  boxing  matches 
breed  the  most  pathetic  kind  of  imposture.  The 
good,  old-fashioned  bruiser,  who  hoarded  his  hard- 
earned  prizes  and  retired  at  the  end  of  a  long  and 
honourable  career  to  his  little  pub,  is  dying  out. 
There  were  and  are  ruffians  of  this  sort  as  there  are 
of  every  sort,  but  fine  men  well  leavened  the  lump. 

Nowadays  our  young  pugs  are  learning  to  have 


170  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

dizzier  ambitions  in  emulation  of  the  successful 
American  bruiser,  and  fostered  by  him.  They  are 
very  magnificent.  They  have  diamonds.  Of  course, 
if  a  man  squarely  earns  his  money,  no  one  has  the 
least  right  to  dictate  the  method  of  its  expenditure. 
If  the  young  boxer  tries  to  be  a  swell,  let  him  try. 
But  it  is  a  sad  buffoonery  :  and  the  sadder  from  his 
own  point  of  view — if  he  only  knew  it — because 
flashiness  is  so  very  characteristic  of  the  black. 

And  this  brings  us  to  the  most  perplexing  question 
that  was  ever  faced  by  well-wishers  of  the  sport. 
The  negro  has  already  been  referred  to  in  this  con- 
nection, and  by  negro  is  meant  the  African  slave,  or 
rather  his  descendants  in  America.  He  is  often  a 
very  fine  boxer.  From  the  time  of  Bill  Richmond  in 
the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth,  to  the  day  when 
Johnson  beat  Jefferies  in  the  present  century,  black 
men  have  fought  with  great  success.  Many  of  them 
have  been  extraordinarily  skilful  with  their  fists. 
But,  as  already  said,  a  black  man  is  not  made  in  the 
same  way  as  a  white  man.  He  is  far  less  sensitive 
about  the  head  and  jaw  :  he  can  take,  almost  without 
knowing  it,  a  blow  which  would  knock  out  the 
toughest  and  most  seasoned  white  pugilist.  So  that, 
other  things  being  equal,  the  white  man  and  the 
black  enter  the  ring  together  upon  a  different  footing. 
In  some  cases  a  negro's  weakness  in  the  stomach 
countervails  the  hardness  of  his  head,  but  not  always. 

But  these  inequalities  in  physique  are  of  small 
importance  compared  to  the  matter  of  temperament. 
Any  triumph,  of  whatsoever  nature,  turns  the  head 
of  the  average  black.     It  is  bad  for  him  because  he 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  171 

behaves  like  a  spoiled  child,  which  is  just  what  he 
is.  And  when  that  triumph  is  a  personal  one,  over  a 
white  man,  the  nigger  becomes  an  appalling  creature, 
a  devil.  His  insolence  knows  no  bounds.  His  pre- 
posterous swagger  excites  the  passionate  hatred  of 
ignorant  white  men,  the  disgust  of  their  betters. 
There  is  no  holding  him  until  his  money  has  run  out, 
or  he  transgresses  the  law.  It  is  far  better  that 
blacks  should  be  allowed  to  fight,  exclusively,  amongst 
themselves.  There  are  good  black  boxers — reason- 
able men — with  a  sense  of  proportion,  a  sense  of  the 
fitness  of  things — good  sportsmen  with  clear  heads  ; 
Peter  Jackson  was  one,  but  they  are  not  sufficiently 
numerous  to  warrant  mixed  fighting. 

Some  boxers  have  all  kind  of  tricks  for  attracting 
attention  and  making  themselves  appear,  as  they 
really  seem  to  believe,  more  important.  One  of 
these  is  to  enter  the  ring  fully  dressed  and  to  take  off 
their  clothes,  helped  by  a  regiment  of  seconds,  in 
their  corner.  The  majority,  however,  come  into  the 
ring  with  a  great-coat  thrown  round  their  shoulders, 
ready  and  anxious  to  begin  at  once.  These  accessory 
effects  do  not  matter  much  if  the  boxing  is  good. 
But  so  long  as  the  sport  exists  there  will  always  be 
men  anxious  to  disguise  incompetence  by  that  amiable 
love  of  display  known  as  "  swank." 

Up  to  a  few  years  ago  there  were  no  two  ideas 
so  utterly,  and  it  seemed  so  hopelessly,  irreconcilable 
as  France  and  boxing.  Of  all  things  of  which  a 
Frenchman  was  entirely  incapable,  the  proper  use  of 
his  fists  came  first.  The  notion  of  a  Frenchman 
putting  on  a  pair  of  boxing  gloves  was  a  stock  joke. 


172  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

In  1838  the  bourgeoisie  of  Paris  was  excited  to  an 
acute  condition  of  pious  horror  on  account  of  the  two 
battles  fought  on  French  soil  between  Owen  Swift 
and  Jack  Adams.  But  in  the  process  of  years,  and 
owing  to  the  softening  of  the  sport  with  gloves,  this 
repugnance  has  succumbed. 

And  now,  on  the  very  day  that  these  words  are 
being  written,  comes  the  news  of  the  defeat  of 
Bombardier  Wells,  heavy-weight  champion  of  Eng- 
land, by  Carpentier,  a  Frenchman.  And  with  such 
rapid  strides  has  the  noble  art  found  favour  in  France 
that  the  fact  of  Wells  being  knocked  out  in  four 
rounds  has  not  been  regarded  with  profound  amaze- 
ment. Of  course  La  Savate  was  practised  long  ago  : 
and  the  combined  use  of  fists  and  feet  was  brought  to 
a  high  level  of  scientific  achievement.  But  it  was 
against  our  national  instincts  to  join  issue  in  this  way  : 
and  now  at  length  France  has  learnt  boxing  as  we 
understand  it.  Not  that  we  are  mainly  responsible 
for  this  still  rather  overwhelming  revolution ; 
Americans  have  taught  the  Frenchmen  most.  But 
the  idea  is  the  same  ;  and  the  most  essentially  British 
sport  that  existed — our  exclusive  boast — must  now 
henceforward  be  shared. 

It  must  be  with  something  of  sadness  that  we  of 
the  English-speaking  races  relinquish  our  old  position 
— sadness  tempered  with  the  conviction  that  a  mutual 
sport  will  do  more  to  cement  an  understanding  between 
two  friendly  nations  than  all  the  wiles  of  diplomacy. 

Professional  boxing  is  cleaner  than  it  used  to  be. 
Twenty  years  ago  there  were  bigger  fights  and 
better  fights  in  a  way :  and   such   men   as    Robert 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  173 

Fitzsimmons,  James  J.  Corbett,  John  L.  Sullivan, 
Frank  Slavin,  Charley  Mitchell,  and  James  J.  JefFerles 
still  hold,  in  the  mind  of  the  public,  names  for  gigantic 
endeavour  and  achievement,  not  to  be  rivalled  at  the 
present  day. 

Nowadays  the  best  boxers — in  England  at  all 
events — are  feather  and  light  weights :  and  these, 
though  their  skill  may  be  of  a  superlatively  fine 
quality,  never  make  so  much  ado  in  the  world  at 
large  as  the  big  men — literally  big  men.  It  is  always 
the  past  which  is  supported  by  giants,  but  when  our 
great-grandchildren  regard  this  present  as  a  distant 
past,  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  will  see  in  it  many 
giants  of  boxing. 

This  is  no  doubt  largely  due  to  the  fact  that 
while  fighting  has  from  the  beginning  attracted  the 
widest  attention  and  interest,  there  are  far  more 
boxers  now  than  there  used  to  be,  and  a  much 
keener  competition  for  the  championships.  Jim 
Driscoll  and  Johnny  Summers  and  other  first-rate 
men  of  our  own  time  will  never  hold  the  place  in 
history  given  to  Jem  Belcher  and  Tom  Cribb  at  the 
beginning,  or  to  Fitzsimmons  and  Corbett  at  the  end, 
of  the  last  century. 

But  the  methods  used  in  some  of  the  immortal 
combats  of  the  'nineties,  judged  by  the  standards  of 
to-day,  were  not  of  the  nicest. 

Corbett,  by  his  own  frank  account  of  his  great 
fight  with  Peter  Jackson,  the  black,  seized  hold  of 
his  fist  in  order  that  the  referee  should  tell  them  to 
break  away,  and  so  that  he  might  start  fresh  again 
when  Jackson's  in-fighting  was  proving  too  much  for 


174  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

him.  The  underlying  principle  was  the  same  as 
in  clinching.  At  that  time  it  can  hardly  be  said 
to  have  been  unfair ;  and  if  men  had  to  fight  to  a 
finish  some  latitude  on  that  account  might  certainly 
be  conceded.  Also  the  noble  art  in  those  days  was 
in  a  transitional  stage.  Bare  knuckle  fighting  in 
wJiich  wrestling  was  allowed  had  just  been  abolished  ; 
and  out  of  its  ashes  was  springing  the  fastidious  sport 
called  modern  boxing. 

All  chrysalid  stages  of  development  are  tiresome 
and  often  ugly :  and  during  this  time,  though  the 
science  of  boxing  was  yearly  improving,  a  certain 
kind  of  craftiness  was  practised  which  would  be 
utterly  despised  by  first-rate  men  to-day ;  but  which 
was  then  considered  (in  America,  at  all  events)  an 
inseparable  part  of  the  science. 

Then,  very  light  gloves  were  used ;  so  that  the 
punishment  received  in  these  encounters  was  infinitely 
more  severe  than  it  is  nowadays.  Indeed,  the  two- 
ounce  glove  gives  as  formidable  a  blow  as  a  naked 
fist,  and  it  protects  the  hitter's  knuckles  so  that  he 
can  sometimes  fight  the  longer. 

Corbett  was  a  terrific  hitter  and  the  fastest  man 
on  his  feet  of  his  time.  In  1891,  he  fought  Peter 
Jackson  for  sixty-one  rounds.  Both  men  were  at 
a  standstill,  utterly  exhausted,  and  the  battle  was 
declared  **no  contest,"  which  means  the  cancelling 
of  bets.  Then  in  the  following  year  he  won  the 
championship  of  the  world  by  knocking  out  John 
L.  Sullivan  in  twenty-one  rounds.  Sullivan  was  a 
mighty  slogger  who  had  won  most  of  his  battles  with 
bare  knuckles,  but  his  science  was  rather  primitive. 


PROFESSIONAL  BOXING  175 

Then  Corbett  lost  the  championship  to  Fitz- 
simmons,  who,  with  his  opponent  of  that  occasion, 
was  a  pioneer  of  modern  scientific  methods.  Fitz- 
simmons  is  a  tall,  bony  man  with  no  great  show  of 
muscle,  save  on  his  back  and  shoulders ;  easy  to  hit, 
almost  impossible  to  hurt.  But  he  had,  and  doubt- 
less has  still  for  all  his  fifty  years,  an  immense 
power  behind  his  blow,  and  an  astonishing  capacity 
for  taking  punishment. 

And  then — last  of  the  greater  white  champions — 
came  Jefferies,  a  giant  of  a  man,  upon  whom  nobody 
could  make  any  impression.  He  started  his  career 
as  one  of  Corbett's  trainers,  and  ultimately  beat 
both  his  old  principal  and  Fitzsimmons  twice.  He 
remained  undisputed  heavy-weight  champion  until, 
in  1 9 10,  after  years  of  retirement,  he  was  persuaded 
to  fight  Johnson,  the  black.  Then  he  was  beaten 
in  fifteen  rounds,  and  the  world  is  still  waiting  for 
a  white  champion. 


CHAPTER    XIV 
REFEREEING 

The  national  sports  of  a  people  cannot  be  too  sacredly  guarded,  by 
those  who  wish  to  preserve  to  the  country  its  proverbial  character 
for  real  generosity,  manly  feeling,  and  true  courage." — Dedication  of 
Boxiana  to  Colonel  Berkeley,  a  famous  referee  and  patron  of  the 
ring. 

THERE  are  three  main  essentials  in  a  good 
referee.  He  must  have  an  absolutely  com- 
prehensive knowledge  of  boxing ;  he  must  be 
able  to  make  up  his  mind  inexorably,  and  on  the 
spur  of  any  given  moment ;  and  he  must  have  the 
power  to  command,  to  enforce  his  authority.  A 
man  who  lacks  perfect  mastery  over  some  details 
of  the  sport  is  palpably  useless  to  control  it.  One 
who  is  undecided  in  an  emergency  is  apt  to  spoil 
sport.  One  who  cannot  make  himself  obeyed  is  like 
to  kill  it. 

It  is  not  to  be  said  that  a  referee  of  consummate 
pre-eminence  is  required  for  a  small  amateur  com- 
petition, but  for  professional  contests  you  must  have 
a  good  man. 

There  is  a  most  flagrant  instance  in  the  writer's 

actual  experience  to  illustrate  the  first  point  given 

above,  whereby  an  injustice  was  done  in  an  amateur 

match.     At  the  end  of  the  third  round,  the  judges 

176 


REFEREEING  177 

disagreed  and  the  referee  ordered  an  extra  round. 
That  round  was  unquestionably  decisive.  After- 
wards the  referee  condoled  with  the  beaten  man. 
"  Personally,"  said  he,  **  I  thought  you  won  pretty 
easily  on  the  three  rounds!"  He  was  actually 
unaware  that  the  referee  could  give  a  casting 
vote. 

Of  course,  the  best  of  referees  are  fallible,  and 
must  occasionally  be  guilty  of  an  error  of  judgment. 
But  they  should  not  plead  guilty.  If  you  make  a 
mistake  once  in  a  way,  stick  to  it  and  brazen  it  out. 
It  is  not  a  matter  of  life  and  death  ;  but  if  you  say 
that  white  is  black  and  then  go  back  on  yourself,  all 
confidence  in  you  will  be  lost. 

Dealing  with  a  troublesome  professional,  the 
indecisive  referee  is  sure  to  give  food  for  dissatisfac- 
tion. One  of  them  is  holding.  *'  Smith,  don't  hold," 
cries  the  referee.  And  his  voice  and  mien  matter 
enormously.  He  must  be  peremptory,  even  a  little 
fierce,  but  once  let  his  order  degenerate  into  a  shout, 
and  you  know  that  he  is  a  weak  man.  Smith,  we 
will  say,  is  a  veritable  nuisance :  he  is  continually 
holding.  The  referee  is  constantly  telling  him  not 
to  :  and  at  length  loses  patience.  "If  you  don't  stop 
holding,  you'll  both  leave  the  ring,"  he  says.  Jones 
— the  other  man — has  not  been  holding  at  all.  And 
the  referee's  order  probably  comes  less,  in  the  first 
instance,  from  ignorance  than  from  lack  of  obser- 
vation. Secondly,  his  long  sufferance  is  worn  out, 
and  his  presence  of  mind  is  gone.  He  says 
anything  that  comes  into  his  head,  and  people  are 
aggravated. 
12 


178  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

It  cannot  be  too  urgently  impressed  that  referees 
are  for  the  sport,  not  for  those  who  look  on  at  sport. 
It  is  a  commonplace  that  you  cannot  please  everybody, 
and  the  good  referee  cares  for  the  opinion  of  others, 
their  delight  or  their  annoyance,  not  one  single  snap 
of  his  fingers.  And  looking  at  the  subject  from  the 
other  point  of  view,  having  once  accepted  a  particular 
man  as  referee — especially  when  he  is  authoritatively 
acknowledged  as  one  who  knows  his  business — 
whatever  he  says  is,  ipso  facto,  right.  In  a  crowd 
of  good  sportsmen  this  is  recognized  as  a  matter  of 
course ;  but,  unfortunately,  crowds  are  not  invariably 
composed  of  good  sportsmen.  Loud  disagreement 
is  often  expressed ;  and — by  the  riff-raff  of  the  world 
that  follows  sport — personal  menaces  are  hurled  at 
the  man  who  speaks  his  mind  and  gives  an  un- 
popular decision. 

Mr.  Eugene  Corri,  incomparably  the  best  referee 
in  this  or  any  other  country,  whose  sentiments  are 
expressed  in  the  foregoing  paragraphs,  has  himself 
frequently  been  threatened  by  ruffians.  Naturally 
these  have  been  excessively  futile  and  ignorant 
ruffians  :  but  they  always  have  been,  are  now,  and 
always  will  be  a  danger  to  good  sport.  The  fact 
is  that  these  are  men  who  put  money  on  an  event, 
with  no  risky  idea  of  backing  their  sanguine  expecta- 
tion, but  of  subscribing  to  a  certainty.  Such  people 
are  always  bad  losers. 

To  return  to  actual  methods,  a  referee  for  pro- 
fessional contests  must  award  a  maximum  of  five 
marks  at  the  end  of  each  round  to  the  better  man ; 
or  when  he  considers  them  equal,  five  to  each.     It 


REFEREEING  179 

is  usual  in  England  for  the  referee  to  sit  at  the 
ring-side,  and  with  clean-hitting,  straight  forward 
boxers  there  is  no  reason  why  he  should  move. 
But  where  there  is  much  clinching  —  the  fault 
being  on  one  or  both  sides  —  the  only  way  of 
keeping  the  men  apart  is  to  pull  them  with  your 
two  hands. 

Of  late  years  especially  Mr.  Corri  has  found  it 
increasingly  necessary  to  enter  the  ring,  and  perhaps 
to  stay  there  throughout  the  encounter.  Directly  the 
men  get  into  holds,  he  pulls  them  away  from  each 
other,  and  walks  between  them  to  prevent  the  possi- 
bility of  a  sudden  and  unfair  blow.  This  is  always 
done  in  America :  and  for  that  reason  (prejudiced 
though  it  undoubtedly  is)  it  is  better  not  to  do 
it  here  unless  physical  interference  is  genuinely 
called  for.  One  excellent  purpose  is  served  by 
the  presence  of  the  referee  in  the  ring :  when  a 
man  is  knocked  down,  an  excitable  boxer  is  often 
saved  from  himself  by  the  referee's  restraining 
hand.  As  already  described,  a  boxer  may  forget 
everything  he  has  learned  for  a  moment,  and,  hitting 
a  man  when  he  is  down  or  in  the  act  of  rising, 
turn  a  well-nigh  certain  victory  into  a  defeat  by 
disqualification. 

In  the  accompaying  photograph,  Mr.  Corri  is 
seen  in  the  act  of  warning  Wells  to  stand  away 
from  his  fallen  opponent,  Flynn. 

Neither  Mr.  Corri  nor  any  other  capable  referee 
speaks  to  the  men  boxing  if  he  can  possibly  avoid 
doing  so.  A  weak  official  is  continually  worrying 
the  boxers  throughout  the   contest;  trying   to  make 


i8o  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

up — one  would  think — for  an  ineffectual  manner  by 
bullying.  It  is  quite  hopeless  to  expect  that  an 
obstinate  man  will  be  kept  in  order  by  this 
means. 

Before  giving  any  specific  warning,  a  referee 
should  stop  the  bout.  Misunderstanding,  which 
might  lead  to  a  free  blow  for  one  of  the  boxers, 
is  thus  avoided. 

It  is  also  an  important  part  of  a  referee's  duty — 
in  any  kind  of  combat,  whether  amateur  or  pro- 
fessional— not  to  allow  a  man  to  receive  unnecessary 
punishment.  If  in  his  opinion  a  boxer  is  completely 
outclassed,  he  should  stop  the  fight  at  once.  But 
in  doing  this  he  must  use  discretion  born  of  long 
experience.  A  man  may  appear  half-killed  to  one 
who  has  seen  little  or  nothing  of  boxing,  and 
yet  turn  out  to  be  an  easy  winner.  A  boy  whose 
face  is  covered  with  blood,  one  of  whose  eyes  are 
closed,  and  who  is  a  little  weak  in  his  legs,  may  be 
the  object  of  the  deepest  pity  on  the  part  of  inexpert 
spectators.  But  the  blood  may  be  caused  by  a 
gentle  tap  on  the  nose;  he  can — after  all — see 
clearly  out  of  the  other  eye ;  and  a  moderate  hit 
on  the  jaw  may  have  made  his  knees  shake  a  little. 
And  the  last,  which  is  the  worst  symptom,  soon 
passes  off,  and  he  may  win.  So  anyone  who  would 
stop  a  bout  on  such  slender  grounds  does  not  know 
enough  about  boxing  to  be  a  referee.  A  man  who 
is  really  hurt  has  often  far  less  to  show  to  an 
undiscerning  eye.  He  may  be  quite  unmarked, 
but  his  breathing  is  strained ;  and  there  is  a  look 
in  his  eye  quite   unmistakable   to   anyone   who   has 


REFEREEING  i8i 

closely  observed   the   same   thing   a   hundred   times 
before. 

Then  there  is  the  question  of  knock-down  blows. 
A  man  may  be  brought  to  the  ground  time  after 
time  and  yet  not  be  beaten.  And  a  referee  should 
not  stop  a  fight  merely  because  a  boxer  has  been 
knocked  down  two  or  three  times.  He  must  judge 
by  other  evidence  as  well — the  way  he  falls  and 
the  time  and  manner  in  which  he  rises  again — 
whether  he  is  obviously  ready  to  go  on  fighting, 
or  whether  his  gloves  are  leaden  weights  too  heavy 
to  be  lifted  by  so  weak  a  man. 

The  following  incident  gives  some  idea  of  what 
a  determined  man  can  endure.  In  the  light-weight 
competition  of  1906,  between  Mr.  C.  C.  Wilson  of 
Oxford  and  Sir  Philip  Brocklehurst  of  Cambridge, 
the  latter  went  down  three  times  in  quick  succession 
from  blows  on  the  jaw.  They  were  really  hard  hits, 
though  just  not  hard  enough  for  a  knock-out. 
Almost  immediately  after  the  third  fall,  Brocklehurst, 
with  a  smashing  right  on  the  jaw  sent  Wilson 
down  for  nine  seconds.  He  rose  weak,  but  at 
once  knocked  the  Cambridge  man  down  and  out. 
This  extremely  sensational  encounter  was  finished 
in  precisely  two  minutes. 

Almost  exactly  the  same  thing  happened  with 
a  contrary  result  the  previous  year,  when  the 
same  Cambridge  representative  beat  Mr.  C.  N. 
Newton.  The  fight  was  longer,  and  Newton 
though  badly  knocked  about  all  but  beat  Brockle- 
hurst in  the  second  round.  Some  referees  would 
unquestionably   have   stopped    the    round   after   the 


1 82  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

second  or  third  knock  down.  And  though  in 
both  cases,  if  they  had,  there  would  have  been  no 
ultimate  difference,  the  man  most  punished  still  had 
a  chance  of  winning,  a  chance  which  he  all  but 
seized. 

The  judges  in  a  competition  are  happily  free  from 
severe  responsibility.  They  have  merely  to  write 
down  the  name  of  the  man  they  consider  to  be  the 
better.  Judges  should  be  provided  with  slips  of 
paper  on  which  they  write  the  marks  given  to  the 
competitors.  Five  marks  is  the  maximum  for  the 
first  two  rounds,  and  seven  for  the  third.  The 
better  man,  or,  in  the  event  of  equality,  both  men, 
must  be  given  the  maximum.  It  is  not  for  the 
judges  to  speak  to  the  boxers  or  their  seconds  on 
any  occasion.  That  is  exclusively  the  business  of 
the  referee. 

A  timekeeper,  who  should  always  sit  next  to  the 
referee,  ought  for  the  sake  of  precise  accuracy  to 
have  a  stop-watch.  He  should  give  the  seconds 
good  warning  to  leave  the  ring  before  the  call  of 
Time :  and  in  case  of  emergency  he  should  cultivate 
a  penetrating  voice.  It  is  an  invariable  rule  that 
spectators  must  be  silent  during  the  progress  of 
a  round,  but  it  is  an  impossible  rule  to  enforce. 
And  sometimes  when  excitement  is  running  very 
high,  the  noise  is  so  great  that  the  boxers  cannot 
hear  the  timekeeper's  voice.  At  the  National 
Sporting  and  some  other  clubs  an  electric  bell  is 
used,  with  which  there  can  be  no  mistake  at  all. 

One  of  the  hardest  tasks  with  which  referees 
and  judges  alike  are  faced  is  to  keep  in  mind  that 


REFEREEING  183 

the  issue  depending  on  their  decision  is  boxing  and 
boxing  alone.  It  is  so  remarkably  easy  to  take  a 
fancy  to  one  man's  style  or  demeanour  in  the  ring 
and  regard  that  apart  from  his  strict  scientific 
capabilities. 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CLUB 

"  Modem  boxing  .  .  .  has  been  saved  from  falling  into  disrepute  .  .  . 
by  the  efforts  of  a  few  amateur  clubs." — E.  B.  Michell,  Badminton 
Library, 

THE  organization  of  the  smallest  boxing  club 
must  be  undertaken  in  the  first  instance 
by  men  who  can  give  all  their  spare  time 
to  the  work.  Any  new  enterprize  of  the  kind  is 
necessarily  fraught  with  a  certain  amount  of  difficulty 
and  discouragement.  The  enthusiasm  of  a  few  men, 
though  always  essential  to  the  carrying  on  of  a  club 
once  it  is  started,  is  not  sufficient  to  bring  it  safely 
into  being.  You  must  be  certain  of  a  sufficient 
backing  both  in  numbers  and  in  money.  So  you 
have  to  decide  first  of  all  if  a  reasonable  number  of 
people  want  the  club,  and  then  to  find,  if  possible, 
a  president  or  figure-head  who  is  willing  to  subscribe 
liberally  and  take  an  interest  in  the  club's  welfare. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  anything  but  the  most 
general  idea  of  how  a  club  is  run,  because  it 
entirely  depends  who  and  what  the  members  are, 
and  where  the  club  is  situated. 

The  organizers  of  the  club  must  fix  the  amount 

of  the    annual    subscription   and    the    entrance   fee, 

184 


THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CLUB  185 

and   then   discover   what   other  funds,   if  any,  they 
have  at  their  disposal. 

Having  determined  on  the  club,  a  general  meeting 
of  all  members  should  be  called  to  elect  a  committee, 
which  will  control  the  management  and  elect  officers. 
Subsequently  there  should  be  an  annual  general 
meeting  for  this  purpose.  These  officers,  apart 
from  the  president,  should  include  a  captain,  an 
honorary  secretary,  and  a  treasurer.  Where  the 
membership  is  large  it  is  a  good  plan  to  secure  the 
services  of  a  good  man  of  business,  not  necessarily 
on  the  committee,  to  act  as  senior  treasurer.  It 
will  be  his  duty  to  draw  up  the  balance  sheets,  and 
to  advise  on  matters  connected  with  expenditure. 
The  collection  of  subscriptions — the  spade  work  of 
the  financial  side  of  the  question — can  then  be  left 
to  a  junior  treasurer,  who  will  sit  on  the  committee. 
That  body,  for  any  ordinary  club,  need  not  exceed 
six  in  number,  including  the  captain  and  secretary. 
The  committee  should  have  power  to  call  a  general 
meeting  at  any  time  to  decide  any  specific  matter 
connected  with  the  club. 

Having  settled  the  question  of  funds,  the  next 
step  is  to  hire  one  or  more  rooms.  The  rent 
should  be  comfortably  within  the  means  of  the  club. 
In  dealing  with  the  landlord  it  should  be  made 
perfectly  clear  for  what  purposes  the  club  room 
is  to  be  used.  Boxing  itself  makes  very  little  noise  ; 
but  a  punching-ball  is  terrible  in  this  respect,  and 
neighbouring  householders  might  object,  trouble  of 
one  sort  or  another  might  follow,  and  there  would 
be  no   peace.     You  should  hire  a  room  where  you 


1 86  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

may  do  what  you  please,  and  hire  it  absolutely. 
Some  clubs  only  have  the  use  of  their  headquarters 
in  the  evening  or  on  three  or  four  days  a  week. 
It  is  infinitely  more  satisfactory  to  spend  a  little 
more  and  make  your  headquarters  a  genuine  club, 
where  members  may  leave  their  belongings  and 
where  the  ring,  punching-ball  and  sack  are  fixtures. 
For  the  same  reason  it  is  better  to  hire  your  room 
by  the  year,  if  possible :  though  this  should  not  be 
done  until  you  have  ascertained  the  club's  stability. 
It  so  often  happens  that  a  small  club  springs  up 
like  a  mushroom  and  withers  for  lack  of  money, 
enterprise,  and  perseverance. 

Naturally  a  large  room  is  required — the  larger 
and  the  higher  the  better,  and  one  that  is  well 
lighted.  Beyond  a  big  table  and  a  few  plain  chairs 
no  furniture  is  needed,  unless  it  be  cupboards  or 
lockers  for  members'  fighting  kit.  Electric  light  or 
gas  should  be  laid  on,  and  if  competitions  are  held 
in  your  own  club  rooms,  there  should  be  some  means 
of  arranging  a  good  light  immediately  over  or  on 
all  sides  of  the  ring.  In  this  way  there  will  be  no 
question  of  one  man  trying  to  get  the  light  into  the 
eyes  of  his  opponent;  which,  though  perfectly  justi- 
able  when  it  can  be  done,  is  an  unnecessary  com- 
plication for  amateur  combats. 

A  room  should  always  be  taken  where  water  is 
or  can  be  laid  on.  A  small  extra  room  where 
possible,  or  at  least  a  partitioned  corner  of  the  main 
room,  should  be  used  for  a  shower  bath.  More 
ambitious  luxuries  will,  of  course,  depend  upon  the 
amount   of  subscriptions.     Then   the    fixtures   must 


THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CLUB  187 

be  bought,  and  gloves  for  general  use,  according 
to  the  number  of  members. 

Properly  managed  a  boxing  club  should  support 
itself  by  means  of  competitions.  The  public  will 
always  pay  to  see  a  good  fight,  and  a  larger  room 
or  hall  can  usually  be  hired  for  the  purpose.  The 
expenses  are  very  small — the  erection  of  a  stage 
and  ring,  the  hiring  of  chairs  and  seats,  the  payment 
of  seconds  and  one  or  two  odd  men  to  collect  tickets 
and  make  themselves  generally  useful.  Members  of 
a  club  very  often  manage  all  these  extra  duties  for 
themselves.  If  a  competition  is  extensively  adver- 
tised, much  more  money  is  spent ;  and  the  printing 
bill  is  nearly  always  a  considerable  item.  It  will  be 
the  secretary's  duty  to  see  that  there  is  no  unnecessary 
expenditure  in  this  direction. 

Later  on,  as  a  club  progresses  in  numbers,  when 
the  competitions  have  discovered  talent,  and  sports- 
men outside  are  beginning  to  notice  the  individual 
prowess  of  prominent  members,  a  competition  can 
be  arranged  with  some  rival  institution ;  and  members 
can  be  selected  to  represent  the  club  at  the  amateur 
championships. 

When  the  club  is  first  started  it  should  be  affiliated 
to  the  Amateur  Boxing  Association,  and  abide  by  its 
rules  and  regulations. 

Before  the  club  has  been  actually  formed,  steps 
should  be  taken  to  secure  the  services  of  a  capable 
instructor.  In  London  this  should  present  no  diffi- 
culty and  little  expense.  But  in  provincial  towns 
where  no  good  professional  boxer  happens  to  live, 
the    latter   disadvantage   is   inevitable.     But   an   in- 


1 88  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

structor  is  obviously  necessary,  and  unless  the  pro- 
spective club  is  able  to  support  one  the  possibility 
of  its  formation  will  scarcely  have  been  considered. 

To  the  honorary  secretary  usually  falls  by  far  the 
largest  share  of  the  club  work.  He  must  search  out 
and  enrol  new  members  in  the  club's  youth  ;  he  must 
be  ready  to  discuss  glibly  the  advantages  of  boxing  ; 
he  must  write  innumerable  letters,  giving  notice  of 
meetings  and  other  matters ;  he  must  arrange  all 
details  connected  with  the  competitions.  As  a  rule, 
a  willing  instructor  can  be  of  the  greatest  assistance 
in  this  last.  For  he  can  supervise  the  fitting  up  of 
the  ring,  and  remember  to  provide  basins  and  towels 
and  water  and  such  small  matters  without  which  a 
competition  cannot  be  conducted. 

It  is  the  honorary  secretary's  business  also  to 
arrange  for  the  referee  and  judges  and  their  enter- 
tainment, if  they  come  from  a  distance  and  have  to 
spend  the  night  in  the  town  where  the  competition  is 
held.  Lovers  of  boxing  are  always  pleased  to  en- 
courage even  a  new,  small,  and  obscure  club  ;  and 
there  never  need  be  the  least  difficulty  in  getting 
officials  for  your  competitions  who  understand  their 
work. 

Then  there  are  the  complimentary  tickets.  The 
number  of  people  who  believe  themselves  entitled  to 
watch  any  competition  for  nothing  is  wonderful.  The 
secretary  must  discriminate,  giving  tickets  on  the 
principle,  not  of  good  nature,  but  of  strict  expedience. 
It  is  charming  to  please  your  friends,  but  if  you  are 
responsible  for  the  well-being  of  the  club,  and  know 
that  your  friends  will  pay  to  see  the  competition  if 


THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CLUB  189 

they  cannot  get  in  without  paying — let  them  pay. 
Give  free  seats  rather  to  those  who  may  be  useful 
to  the  club,  who  may  bring  others  to  the  show,  or 
may  introduce  new  members  when  they  are  badly 
wanted. 

A  captain  has  less  to  do.  His  work  is  exclusively 
concerned  with  boxing  itself.  He  should  arrange 
the  hours  of  attendance  for  the  instructor,  and  draw 
up  some  sort  of  table  for  the  lessons  of  beginners. 
Instructors  are  only  human  :  they  will  have  their 
favourites ;  and  it  is  the  captain's  duty  to  see  that 
each  member  has  his  fair  share  of  teaching.  Before 
a  competition,  those  entering  for  it  will  naturally  have 
more  attention  paid  to  them ;  particularly  when  the 
prospective  encounters  are  to  be  against  some  other 
club.  It  will  then  be  the  captain  who  chooses  the 
representatives  and  sees  that  they  are  properly 
trained.  He  is  helped  in  his  decision  by  means  of 
a  preliminary  competition  amongst  the  club  members. 

A  particular  instance  may  serve  to  give  an  outline 
of  a  good  working  rule.  At  Oxford  there  are  two 
purely  club  competitions  every  year — the  October 
Term  and  the  Preliminary  or  Trial  Competition. 
The  former  used  at  one  time  to  be  called  the  Novices  ; 
but  the  name  was  dropped  owing  to  misunderstanding 
on  the  part  of  the  public.  The  word  ** novice"  in 
regard  to  a  boxing  club  means  a  man  who  has  never 
gained  a  prize  since  he  has  been  a  member  of  that 
club ;  not  necessarily,  as  is  commonly  thought,  a  raw 
beginner.  At  the  universities,  a  man  may  have  won 
a  public  school  championship  and  yet  be  eligible  to 
compete  in  the  novices'  competition.     So  the  name 


190  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

was  changed.  The  October  Term  Competition,  then, 
generally  discovers  new  talent,  to  be  carefully  fostered 
and  developed  for  the  following  term. 

Then,  about  the  middle  of  February,  a  competition 
is  held  open  to  any  member  of  the  university  who 
has  not  completed  four  years'  residence.  Usually, 
the  winners  of  this,  at  their  respective  weights,  repre- 
sent Oxford  against  Cambridge ;  but  not  necessarily 
so.  This  is  the  great  event  of  the  year,  and  every 
effort  must  be  made  to  find  the  best  man  at  his 
weight  to  fight  for  his  university.  And  it  is  not  by 
any  manner  of  means  the  best  man  who  always  wins 
the  trial.  So  the  choice  rests  with  the  captain,  who, 
in  the  words  of  the  rule,  "shall  consult  with  the 
committee,  but  whose  decision  shall  be  final." 

Though  superficially  it  may  seem  unjust,  it  is  a 
very  wise  measure  thus  to  restrict  the  judicial  capacity 
of  the  preliminary  competitions,  because  one  of  several 
causes  may  prevent  the  best  man  from  winning.  He 
may,  for  instance,  injure  his  thumb,  so  that  one  hand 
is  useless,  and  be  beaten  by  an  infinitely  worse  boxer. 
By  the  time  he  has  to  fight  for  Oxford  he  may  have 
recovered.  And  the  captain  will  choose  him.  Again, 
a  man  may  be  knocked  out  by  a  lucky  blow ;  or  even 
beaten  by  a  narrow  margin  on  points,  and  yet  be,  on 
the  whole,  the  better  boxer — or  at  any  rate  the  one 
most  likely  to  frustrate  the  wiles  of  the  Cambridge 
representative. 

A  captain  should  in  all  cases  make  a  point  of 
watching  the  preliminary  competitions  of  the  rival 
club,  noticing  the  different  styles,  and,  if  there  is  any 
room  for  choice,  deciding  which  of  his  men  is  most 


THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  A  CLUB  191 

likely  to  win  on  this  particular  occasion.  On  one 
memorable  occasion  before  an  Oxford  and  Cambridge 
encounter,  one  of  the  weights  was  only  contested  by 
two  men,  and  neither  of  them  were  of  the  least  use ; 
and  the  man  ultimately  chosen  had  not  even  entered 
his  name  for  the  preliminaries  at  all. 

Because  of  this  rule  the  captain  of  a  club  may 
find  himself  in  the  most  disagreeable  and  invidious 
position.  He  may  himself  be  beaten  in  the  trials,  but 
honestly  believes  that  he  has  a  better  chance  of  winning 
for  his  club  than  the  man  who  has  just  gained  the 
verdict  over  him.  He  must  choose  himself.  And, 
though  doubtless  he  will  have  the  support  of  the 
committee,  the  situation  is  none  the  less  a  hateful  one. 

The  fitting  up  of  a  ring,  whether  for  a  competition 
in  a  special  place,  or  as  a  fixture  in  a  club,  should 
always  be  done  with  great  care.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  rings — one,  the  most  usual,  has  posts  in 
the  four  corners  ;  and  the  other  has  the  posts  outside 
them.  The  latter  takes  up  more  space,  which  is 
generally  valuable  on  the  occasion  of  competitions. 

If  the  ring  is  to  be  on  a  raised  stage,  a  margin 
of  at  least  a  foot — more,  for  choice — should  be  left 
outside  it.  Otherwise,  when  fighting  against  the 
ropes,  a  competitor  is  liable  to  slide  his  foot  outside 
them  and  over  the  edge  of  the  stage.  And  that  may 
cause  him  an  injury.  But  whether  on  the  floor  of  a 
stage  or  not,  the  posts  should  be  let  into  the  ground 
for  a  distance  of  six  inches.  They  should  be  four  in 
number  and  five  feet  high,  smooth  and  rounded  ;  but 
that  portion  of  them  which  is  in  the  floor  must  be 
square,  fitting  into  a  square  hole.     They  should  be 


192  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

kept  firmly  in  place  by  two  iron  stanchions,  bolted  to 
the  posts  themselves  at  about  two-thirds  of  their 
height,  and  to  the  floor. 

There  should  be  at  least  two  thick  ropes,  and 
three  are  preferable.  These  should  run  through  holes 
in  the  posts,  one  within  nine  inches  or  so  of  the  top 
and  the  others  at  equal  distances ;  and  they  should 
be  pulled  absolutely  taut.  The  tops  of  the  four 
posts  must  be  padded  lest  a  competitor  is  severely 
knocked  back  against  them.  A  convenient  form  of 
padding,  frequently  used,  consists  of  a  couple  of  old 
boxing  gloves  securely  tied.  If  you  think  it  necessary 
to  protect  the  lower  part  of  the  posts,  two  or  three 
pieces  of  thick  felt  will  serve  the  purpose. 

In  order  to  avoid  any  chance  at  all  of  knocking 
against  the  posts,  they  may  be  fixed  well  outside  the 
corners,  the  ropes  being  supported  by  loops. 

Special  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  floor  of 
a  ring,  particularly  when  it  is  on  a  stage  which  has 
been  built  up  just  for  one  night.  The  boards  should 
be  well  cramped  together,  so  that  they  are  perfectly 
level  and  tight.  And — for  competitions  especially — 
they  should  be  liberally  sprinkled  with  resin. 

Lastly,  since  competitions  are  almost  always  held 
at  night,  it  will  be  the  work  of  the  committee  in  general 
to  see  that  as  soon  as  one  fight  is  over  the  next 
pair  of  boxers  are  ready  to  enter  the  ring.  With  a 
big  entry  for  various  weights  and  dilatory  methods, 
the  evening's  sport  is  apt  to  be  far  too  protracted. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

MILITARY   BOXING:    ITS   ORIGIN 
AND  GROWTH 

BY 

J.  H.  W.  KNIGHT-BRUCE, 

SIXTH    ROYAL   REGIMENT 

" .  .  .  .  The  image  of  war,  with  none  of  its  guilt  and  only  twenty- five 
per  cent  of  its  dangers." — Surtees,  Hundley  Cross, 

THE  wave  of  athleticism  that  has  swept  over 
England  during  the  last  half-century  may,  or 
may  not,  have  been  a  good  thing  for  the 
country  in  respect  to  her  place  as  a  world  power. 
Good  men  think  it  has  :  equally  good  men  think  it 
has  not.  But  there  can  be  no  shadow  of  doubt  as  to 
its  incalculable  benefit  to  the  British  army. 

One  may,  perhaps,  wonder  whether  an  English 
business  house,  all  of  whose  clerks  are  playing  golf  in 
their  leisure  moments  and  thinking  golf  in  their  work- 
ing ones,  is  quite  so  likely  to  excel  in  the  race  for 
supremacy  as,  say,  a  German  one,  whose  clerks  are 
learning  languages  in  their  leisure  moments  and  think- 
ing of  nothing  but  the  business  in  hand  in  their  work- 
ing ones. 

One  may,  perhaps,  wonder  whether  a  nation  whose 
sons  spend  their  youth  playing  or  watching  games 
13 


194  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

will  be  able  to  meet  on  equal  terms  on  the  field  of 
battle  a  nation  whose  sons  have  received  two  or  three 
years'  systematic  military  training  as  young  men.  But 
however  one  may  doubt  the  wisdom  of  a  tremendous 
devotion  to  athletics  in  a  nation,  one  can  have  no 
doubts  whatever  about  such  a  devotion  in  her  army. 

The  lessons  to  be  learnt  from  games,  and  the  in- 
creased physical  and  mental  efficiency  that  come  from 
playing  them,  are  useful  indeed  to  any  man,  but  in- 
valuable to  the  soldier. 

And  of  all  games,  perhaps  the  one  that  does  him 
most  good  is  boxing.  Think  of  the  qualities  essential 
to  the  soldier  it  calls  out  and  fosters.  Courage,  fit- 
ness, the  capacity  for  keeping  one's  head,  when  that 
said  head  is  dazed  and  reeling  from  murderous  blows ; 
good  temper  under  reverses,  instant  obedience  to  the 
command  of  the  referee,  the  knowledge  that  one  still 
has  a  chance  of  winning  however  terrible  a  gruelling 
one  may  be  getting  at  the  moment,  lightning  quickness 
to  seize  an  opportunity  only  presented  for  an  instant. 
And  many  another  lesson  may  be  learnt  in  the  ring 
and  be  found  invaluable  in  the  battle-field. 

Why,  it  is  the  ring  that  is  the  real  image  of  war : 
though  Mr.  Jorrocks  thought  fox-hunting  was. 

I  once  heard  a  well-known  general  give  it  as  his 
opinion  that  ''a  good  man  to  hounds  is  already  a  half- 
made  soldier,"  and  I  think  the  same  might  be  said  of  a 
good  man  in  the  ring.  The  boxing  soldier  is  almost 
invariably  an  excellent  fellow,  as  are  his  better-class 
colleagues  in  the  civilian  ring.  The  idea  that  because 
a  man  can  box  he  will  be  at  error  to  his  room-mates 
is  a  fallacy.     On  the  contrary,  the  few  bullies  I  have 


MILITARY  BOXING  195 

known  have  not  been  boxers.  As  an  influence  for 
keeping  down  drink,  all  games,  and  especially  boxing, 
have  of  course  worked  marvels. 

The  fact  that  boxing  makes  for  the  improvement 
of  the  soldier  is  now  most  cordially  recognized  by  all 
those  in  authority  in  the  army.  General  and  Com- 
manding officers  alike  are  most  zealous  in  promoting 
boxing  clubs,  tournaments  and  championships  in  their 
commands,  while  the  controlling  body  of  service  box- 
ing— the  Royal  Navy  and  Army  Boxing  Association 
— has  for  its  president  His  Majesty  the  King,  and  for 
its  vice-presidents  five  naval  Commanders-in-Chief 
and  eight  military  General  Officers  Commanding-in- 
Chief.  I  think  that  this  shows  conclusively  that  box- 
ing is  recognized  at  its  true  worth  in  the  making  of  the 
soldier  by  those  who  are  responsible  for  that  making. 

And  the  men  themselves  are  so  keen.  The  best 
boxers  in  a  regiment  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  all. 
At  any  competition,  from  a  regimental  novice's  to 
the  army  championship,  the  great  majority  of  the 
audience  appreciate  the  cause  and  value  of  each  punch, 
each  guard  or  counter,  and  every  tricky  little  bit  of 
ring-craft.  No  mere  ordinary  lookers-on  they,  applaud- 
ing the  showy  blow  or  the  furious  rush,  but  cogno- 
scenti, mentally  discounting  the  value  of  the  first  by 
the  fact  that  it  was  a  wild  swing,  ill-timed,  and  only 
landing  where  it  did  by  the  grace  of  luck ;  and  the 
second,  because  by  all  the  laws  of  ring-craft  the 
rusher  ought  at  that  particular  moment  to  have  kept 
at  arm's  length,  fought  cannily  and  tried  to  take  some 
of  the  steam  out  of  his  man  before  walking  into  him. 

But  the  audience,  packed  tier  behind  tier  into  the 


196  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

murky  distance  of  the  regimental  drill-shed  or  on  the 
seats  of  the  great  hall  at  Aldershot,  keen  as  they  are 
and  critical  as  they  are  of  the  actions  of  the  referee 
through  personal  knowledge  of  the  great  game,  are 
always  ready  to  pay  heed  to  the  least  sign  from  the 
master  of  ceremonies.  A  roll  of  applause  for  the 
winner  and  **  another  for  the  loser,"  should  he  have 
made  a  plucky  fight,  is  pretty  well  all  the  rein  the 
soldier  audience  give  their  feelings.  And  yet  their 
feelings  are  there  right  enough,  especially  should  the 
combatants  in  the  ring  happen  to  be  of  two  different 
regiments,  or  even  of  two  different  companies  or 
squadrons,  both  of  whom  are  well  represented  in  the 
audience.  And  so  lessons  useful  to  the  soldier  may 
be  learnt  even  by  the  lookers-on. 

The  origin  and  early  history  of  army  boxing  is 
rather  **  wropt  in  mystery."  Of  course,  from  the 
earliest  days  of  the  British  army  contests  of  some 
sort  between  two  men,  unarmed  except  for  their 
fists,  either  for  sport  or  because  there  was  bad  blood 
between  them,  have  been  not  uncommon.  But  they 
were  not  officially  sanctioned,  and  would  probably 
have  made  the  modern  referee,  with  his  *'  Boxing 
Rules  and  Guide  to  Refereeing  "  by  his  side,  shed 
salt  tears.  The  latter  class  of  contest  was,  and  is, 
discouraged  as  coming  under  the  head  of  brawling. 

In  parenthesis,  I  sometimes  wonder  if  this  fighting 
between  two  men  who  have  a  quarrel  is  as  terrible 
a  thing  as  some  people  think.  They  appear  to 
consider  that  the  fighting  is  the  cause  of  the  quarrel 
in  some  obscure  way.  But  this  is,  surely,  putting 
the   cart   before   the    horse.     The   quarrel    is   there, 


DUCKING   FROM   A   RIGHT   SWING   AND  COUNTERING   ON   THE   "MARK" 

{see page  84) 


MILITARY  BOXING  197 

whether  it  is  settled  by  fighting  or  not ;  and  even 
admitting  on  one  side  that  fighting  in  anger  is  bad, 
one  must  admit  on  the  other  that  any  bad  blood 
there  may  be  practically  never  survives  a  fight. 
Anyone  can  probably  call  to  mind  from  the  time  of 
their  school-days  instances  of  boys  whose  enmity 
culminated  in  a  fight  and  was  transformed  into  a 
firm  friendship  from  that  day.  And  the  boy  is 
father  to  the  man.  And  if  no  fight  had  taken  place, 
but  the  quarrel  had  been  patched  up  in  some  other 
way,  I  think  it  is  a  longish  shade  of  odds  that,  at 
any  rate,  some  traces  of  bad  blood  would  have 
lingered  on  in  the  heart  of  one  side  or  the  other. 

But  this  is  a  discursion.  We  had  got  to  where 
two  of  Alfred  the  Great's  Militia — now,  alas !  no 
more — throwing  aside  their  flint-headed,  sinew-bound 
axes  (or  whatever  else  they  were  armed  with), 
engaged  in  an  early  form  of  mill  with  the  whole  of 
England  not  occupied  by  the  Danes  to  fight  in. 

From  this  time  till  comparatively  recently  boxing 
in  the  army  remained  at  this  stage.  The  only 
differences  worthy  of  note  were  that,  the  Danes 
having  been  driven  off,  the  ring  was  enlarged  and 
short  swords  and  bucklers,  good  yew  long-bows  and 
yard-long,  grey  goose-tipped  shafts,  twenty-foot  pikes 
and  muskets  of  a  lessening  degree  of  dangerousness 
and  inaccuracy  were  in  turn  thrown  aside  as  a  pre- 
liminary to  the  contest  in  place  of  the  flint-headed, 
sinew-bound  axes. 

And,  as  over-civilization  grew,  the  army  boxer 
came  more  and  more  to  be  looked  on  (as  was  his 
civilian  brother)  as  a  swashbuckler,  a  bully,  a  man 


198  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

of  the  lowest  status  with  whom  no  good  young 
soldier  would  consort.  And,  as  most  of  us  tend  to 
take  ourselves  at  others'  valuation,  doubtless  to  a 
certain  extent  he  was  all  this. 

Anything  like  organized  boxing  in  the  army 
began  about  1886,  when  contests  between  men  of 
the  same  or  different  regiments  began  to  be  directed 
by  officers,  put  on  a  recognized  footing  and  fought 
under  recognized  rules.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that 
before,  especially  during  the  great  P.R.  days  of 
civilian  boxing,  no  recognition  had  been  extended 
to  boxing  amongst  the  men,  but  until  about  this  date 
everything  was  very  much  in  the  air,  left  to  the 
men  themselves,  and  open  to  many  abuses. 

From  this  time  onwards  boxing  as  a  sport  for 
soldiers  never  looked  back.  Each  year  more  men 
took  it  up,  more  interest  was  shown  in  it,  more 
misconceptions  as  to  its  results  were  removed,  more 
rules  for  its  conduct  were  drawn  up,  and  more  and 
more  was  it  put  on  a  proper  basis,  with  efficient 
organization  and  regulation.  And,  of  course,  the 
more  it  was  brought  under  one  set  of  rules,  the 
efficiency  of  the  referees  and  judges  increased,  and 
the  sport  as  a  whole  brought  into  line  throughout 
the  service,  the  more  popular  did  it  become  among 
the  men. 

In  1896  the  sport  had  resumed  such  proportions 
that  those  in  authority  over  it  felt  themselves  justified 
in  holding  a  championship  meeting.  Before  this,  of 
course,  there  had  been  men  styling  themselves 
** champions"  of  a  regiment,  brigade,  division,  army 
corps,  or  the  army,   but  no   one  who  was  officially 


MILITARY  BOXING  199 

entitled  to  these  distinctions.  This  meeting  was 
called  the  Royal  Navy  and  Army  Boxing  Champion- 
ship, and  was  divided  into  two  classes  for  each  weight, 
one  for  officers  and  one  for  warrant  officers,  petty 
officers,  non-commissioned  officers  and  men.  In 
the  officers'  class  three  weights  filled,  the  heavies, 
middles,  and  lights,  of  which  the  first  was  won  by 
Lieutenant  J.  Simpson,  the  Gordon  Highlanders; 
and  the  other  two  by  Captain  H.  M.  C.  W.  Graham, 
the  Royal  Marine  Light  Infantry.  In  the  men's  class 
four  weights  filled,  the  heavies,  middles,  lights  and 
feathers,  and  were  won  by  Private  Leahy,  the 
Grenadier  Guards,  Sergeant  Collins,  Drummer 
Collins,  and  Drummer  Phillips,  all  of  the  same 
regiment,  which  thus  swept  the  board  at  this 
meeting. 

The  holding  of  this  first  combined  championship 
meeting  of  both  services  was  a  great  fillip  to  the 
ring  in  the  army.  The  sport  had  now  been  legiti- 
mized, and  men  had  something  tangible  to  fight  for. 
To  be  declared  the  best  man  at  the  weight  in  both 
services,  or  even  in  one's  own  brigade  or  regiment 
(for  this  organization  now  extended  throughout  the 
service),  was  an  honour  worth  the  toil  of  training  and 
the  punishment  of  the  ring. 

By  1903  the  entries  for  the  Royal  Navy  and 
Army  Championships  had  become  so  numerous, 
especially  from  the  senior  service,  that  it  was  con- 
sidered that  a  championship  for  the  navy  alone 
might  with  advantage  be  instituted,  not  in  any  way 
to  interfere  with  the  existing  championship  of  both 
services,  but  to  be  a  step  leading  to  it. 


200  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

In  191 2  another  championship  was  added — for 
the  army  alone  this  time.  It  filled  well,  and  the 
three  officers'  weights — light-heavy,  middle  and 
welter — were  won  by  Lieutenant  C.  O.  Lilly,  the 
Dorsetshire  Regiment,  Lieutenant  H.  D.  Bentinck, 
the  Coldstream  Guards,  and  Lieutenant  G.  le  Q. 
Martel,  the  Royal  Engineers ;  while  in  the  N.-C.O.'s 
and  men's  class  the  heavy,  light-heavy,  middle, 
welter,  light  and  feather  weights  filled  and  were 
won  by  Private  Clohessy,  the  Royal  Munster  Fusiliers, 
Private  Delaney,  the  Leinster  Regiment,  Private 
Harris,  the  Coldstream  Guards,  Lance-Sergeant 
Blake,  the  Gloucestershire  Regiment,  Private  Halpin, 
the  Leinster  Regiment,  and  Private  Rhodes,  the 
1 8th  Hussars. 

There  are  now  the  following  championships  in  the 
army  recognized  as  such  : — 

Royal  Navy  and  Army. 

Army. 

Aldershot  Command. 

Eastern  Command. 

Irish  Command. 

London  District. 

Northern   and  Western    Commands    (combined 

meeting). 
Scottish  Command. 

Southern  Command  (including  Channel  Islands). 
India. 

And  so  boxing  in  the  army  went  on  by  mighty 
strides.  But  its  very  popularity  was  a  source  of 
possible   weakness   to   it.     It   became   unwieldy  and 


MILITARY  BOXING  201 

unmanageable  from  its  size.  Men  began  to  learn  low, 
dirty  tricks  of  the  ring  from  second-rate  civilian  pro- 
fessionals. Men  of  repute  could  command  long 
purses  for  contests  and  refused  to  fight  without  them. 
Organizers  of  competitions  were  only  too  anxious  to 
grant  them,  as  by  the  presence  of  these  star  men  the 
gate  was  largely  increased,  and  consequently  the 
profits  of  the  meeting.  And  so  the  aspect  of  boxing 
as  a  money-making  concern  and  not  as  a  sport  was 
brought  to  the  notice  of  the  soldier.  **  Pecunia 
incubuit,  victumque  ulciscitur  orbem." 

In  the  civilian  ring  the  bruiser  has  his  bread  to 
make  by  his  gloves,  and  there  of  necessity  the  element 
of  money  must  come  in.  But  the  soldier  ought  to 
fight,  if  fight  at  all,  as  an  amateur ;  for  the  exhilara- 
tion and  joy  of  the  ring,  for  proving  himself  as  good 
a  man  as  his  neighbour,  and  for  the  soldier-like 
qualities  fighting  brings  out  in  him. 

And  owing  to  the  number  of  competitions  in  the 
service  at  this  time,  the  lack  of  any  facilities  for 
the  training  of  referees  in  the  army  for  the  army, 
and  the  absence  of  any  recognized  code  of  army 
boxing  rules,  the  question  of  referees  and  judges  for 
service  competitions  became  a  difficult  one.  And 
nothing  discourages  a  boxer  more  than  the  thought 
that  he  will  be  refereed  by  a  man  who  does  not  under- 
stand the  finer  points  of  the  game,  or  is,  maybe,  even 
ignorant  of  its  elements.  From  all  these  causes  there 
was  a  certain  amount  of  dissatisfaction  among  army 
boxers,  and  there  were  many  admitted  evils  in  army 
boxing. 

Up  to  this  time  the  sport  had  been  run  as  a  sort 


202  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

of  side-line  of  army  gymnastics,  and  was  under  the 
control  of  those  in  charge  of  the  army  gymnasia.  In 
fact  it  was  considered  as  much  a  part  of  gymnastics 
as  bayonet-fighting  or  sabre  play.  But  now  the  sport 
had  assumed  such  proportions  it  was  felt  that  it  could  no 
longer  efficiently  be  run  as  a  mere  side-line,  but  it  must 
have  its  own  management  and  its  own  organization. 

The  result  of  this  feeling  was  the  Royal  Navy 
and  Army  Boxing  Association.  This  association 
had  for  its  objects  the  encouragement  and  improve- 
ment of  boxing  in  the  services,  rather  by  inducing 
large  numbers  to  enter  for  competitions  than  by 
specializing  with  individuals  ;  to  act  as  a  central  body 
for  control  and  appeal ;  to  make  service  boxing  a 
sport  in  line  with  other  games  and  not  a  mere  money- 
making  concern  ;  to  put  an  end  to  clinching,  which 
had  crept  into  army  boxing  from  the  civilian  ring, 
and  which  was  felt  not  to  be  consistent  with  the 
traditions  of  boxing  in  the  army ;  to  secure  or  train 
in  every  regiment  officers  capable  of  acting  efficiently 
as  referees  and  judges ;  to  put  an  end  to  enormous 
purses  and  make  men  fight,  as  they  play  games,  for 
the  honour  to  be  got  out  of  it  for  their  regiment  and 
for  themselves ;  to  draw  up  a  code  of  rules  which 
should  hold  throughout  service  boxing ;  to  give  hints 
on  boxing  generally,  on  managing  boxing  tournaments 
and  boxing  clubs ;  and  to  issue  a  list  of  approved 
referees  and  judges  whose  credentials  it  could 
guarantee. 

In  fact,  the  association  was  to  standardize  and 
bring  into  line  and  under  control  service  boxing  as  a 
whole,  to  encourage  and  improve  it  in  every  possible 


MILITARY  BOXING  203 

way,  and  to  set  its  face  against  various  admitted  evils 
at  that  time  existing  in  it. 

The  association  was  started  in  19 10,  and  at  once 
drew  up  a  code  of  boxing  rules,  which  were  first  used 
in  the  191 1  service  championships.  It  then  legislated 
for  the  maximum  amount  of  prize  money  to  be  allowed 
in  competitions.  It  did  this  in  the  fairest  possible 
way  by  classifying  competitions  according  to  the  size 
of  the  unit  to  which  they  were  open,  and  then  allowing 
only  a  certain  maximum  sum  for  each  entry  to  be 
given  in  prizes,  of  which  two-thirds  goes  to  the 
winner  and  the  rest  to  the  runner-up. 

This  is,  of  course,  the  best  way  of  deciding  the 
value  of  prizes,  as  the  merit  of  winning  a  competition 
depends  as  well  on  the  size  of  the  entry  as  on  the 
size  of  the  unit  from  which  that  entry  is  drawn. 

You  notice  the  word  ** maximum"  is  in  italics  in 
my  penultimate  paragraph.  For  a  reason.  Although 
the  Royal  Navy  and  Army  Boxing  Association  lays 
down  this  scale  as  the  maximum,  they  are  not  anxious 
to  see  it  enforced  on  all  occasions.  In  fact,  they  wish 
gradually  to  wean  the  soldier  from  the  habit  of  looking 
to  the  money  aspect  of  the  ring.  And  the  great 
majority  of  regiments  have  already  done  this  weaning. 

More  and  more  is  it  the  custom  for  prizes  to 
consist  only  of  medals  of  little  intrinsic  value.  This 
year  in  an  infantry  brigade  stationed  in  the  South 
of  England  the  four  regiments  composing  it  gave  no 
money  prizes  whatsoever  at  their  respective  regi- 
mental tournaments,  and  the  entries  numbered  120, 
60,  56,  and  52.  In  my  own  regiment  which,  through 
being  stationed  in   India,   did   not   come  under   the 


204  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

association  till  after  those  serving  at  home,  I  found 
it  was  wonderful  how  soon  the  men  accepted  the 
altered  scale  of  prize-money  and  how  little  it  affected 
entries.  This  was  all  the  more  remarkable  as  at  the 
time  we  were  stationed  at  Bombay,  where  good  men 
could  fight  in  civilian  contests,  whose  losing  end  was 
very  many  times  greater  than  the  first  prize  in  our 
regimental  competitions. 

After  all,  the  spirit  of  money-making  in  the  army 
boxer  was  very  largely  the  fault  of  the  same  spirit 
of  gain  in  regimental  boxing  clubs,  who  hoped  to 
outbid  each  other  for  the  presence  of  star  men  and 
consequent  heavy  gates. 

In  fact,  I  think  now  it  can  be  said  that  no  man 
steps  into  the  ring  with  less  mercenary  thought  than 
the  soldier. 

For  purposes  of  determining  prize-money,  tourna- 
ments are  divided  into  the  following  classes  : — 

Class  A. — Ship,  or  battalion  of  infantry,  or  its  equivalent. 

„      B. — Fleet  of  5000  or  under,  or  a  brigade  or  its  equivalent. 

„      C. — Fleet  of  between  5000  and  10,000,  or  a  force  between  a 
brigade  and  a  division. 

„      D. — Fleet  of  over  10,000,  or  a  division. 
Open. — Royal  Navy  and  Marines,  Army  or  Royal  Navy  and  Army. 

And  in  each  of  these  classes  the  maximum  amount 
of  money  prizes  is  laid  down  in  both  open  and  novice 
competitions,  and  it  varies  with  the  number  of  entries. 

To  give  the  whole  scale  of  prizes  is  unnecessary, 
but  an  example  will  make  it  clear  that  the  soldier  is 
unlikely  to  buy  himself  out  and  retire  to  a  cosy  little 
pub  with  his  ring-winnings  even  if  the  maximum 
prize-money  is  given. 


MILITARY  BOXING  205 

Take  the  case  of  a  man  winning  a  novice  com- 
petition open  to  his  brigade  for  which  twenty-three  of 
his  fellows  also  enter.  Then  forty-five  shillings  will 
be  the  maximum  prize-money,  of  which  he  will  only 
get  thirty.  And  that  competition  will  be  of  a  class 
that  will  take  some  winning  too.  It  will  be  open  to 
any  of  three  thousand  men  who  have  not  actually  won 
a  competition  as  a  soldier. 

The  maximum  money  allowed  in  the  champion- 
ships open  to  the  whole  of  both  services  if  there  are 
over  thirty-two  entries  is  only  124  shillings,  of  which 
the  winner  only  takes  £^,  2s.  8d,  while  the  maximum 
for  a  regimental  novice  competition  of  two  entries  is 
only  4s.     There  is  a  similar  scale  for  contests. 

The  next  step  taken  by  the  R.  N.  &  A.  B.  A. 
was  the  shortening  of  contests  to  a  maximum  of  half- 
a-dozen  rounds. 

The  limitation  of  the  duration  of  contests  as  a 
principle  making  for  the  betterment  of  the  sport  need 
scarcely  be  laboured.  Indeed,  as  we  have  seen  by 
the  imposition  of  a  limit  at  "The  Ring,"  the  principle 
has  commended  itself  to  professional  circles,  where, 
as  in  the  services,  it  is  recognized  that  there  are 
limitations  to  human  endurance,  and  that  if  boxing  is 
to  be  always  merry  and  bright,  and  long,  dismal  ex- 
positions of  the  art  of  clinching  are  to  be  avoided, 
then  bouts  of  from  six  to  ten  rounds  are  the  only 
contests  in  which  these  results  will  be  obtained.  The 
services  stickle  for  six  rounds,  not  because  they 
believe  that  ten  rounds  are  outside  the  capacity  of 
the  better  class  boxer ;  but  because  the  service  man 
is  a  sailor  or  soldier  first,  and  the  time  necessary  to 


2o6  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

the  training  of  a  ten-rounds  boxer  cannot  be  spared 
from  the  duties  which  his  service  career  involves. 

And  in  practice  it  is  found  that  for  the  majority 
of  boxers  a  four-round  contest  ensues  the  best  fight. 
Only  the  exceptionally  good  bruisers  who  have 
already  won  their  spurs  and  proved  their  worth  to 
the  hilt — say  a  champion — are  able,  as  a  rule,  to  put 
up  a  satisfactory  six-round  fight. 

The  association,  then,  issued  a  list  of  referees 
who  belonged  to  one  or  other  of  the  services  and 
whose  capabilities  they  guaranteed,  and  they  stipulated 
for  officers  as  referees  and  judges  in  all  tournaments 
held  under  their  auspices. 

This  item  on  its  programme  will  perhaps  arouse 
more  criticism  than  either  of  the  others.  It  may  be 
said,  and  very  truly,  that  there  are  plenty  of  good 
civilian  referees  who  are  only  too  willing  to  help  the 
sport  in  the  navy  and  army.  It  may  be  said,  also 
very  truly,  that  a  good  many  officers  would  willingly 
vacate  their  places  in  the  referee's  chair  in  favour  of 
Mr.  Corri,  Mr.  Scott,  and  a  score  of  other  well-known 
arbiters  who  might  be  mentioned. 

If  Great  Britain  were  Great  Britain  only  and  not 
the  British  Empire,  the  needs  of  the  navy  and  army 
might  very  well  be  met  by  civilian  referees.  It  is  not. 
The  soldier  serves  half  his  service  at  home,  the  sailor 
scarcely  a  tenth  of  it.  One  cannot  phone  the 
National  Sporting  Club  from  Peshawar  or  the 
'*  Sportsman "  from  Tientsin.  The  regiment  that 
goes  abroad  must  take  its  referees  and  judges  with 
it ;  and  if  it  takes  officers  who  have  never  served  in 
either  capacity  at  home,  then  the  career  of  its  boxing 


MILITARY  BOXING  207 

club  will  come  to  an  end  within  a  very  few  months 
of  leaving  the  troopship.  That  is  one  side  of  the 
officer  referee  question. 

Another,  and  it  applies  to  every  sport,  is  that  the 
more  active  the  interest  an  officer  takes  in  a  sport 
the  more  keen  will  his  men  become.  The  officer  who 
occupies  the  arbiter's  chair,  with  a  knowledge  of  the 
game  that  is  patent  to  all  observers,  has  established 
the  same  bond  of  sympathy  between  himself  and  his 
men  that  exists  between  the  officer  and  private  who 
shove  together  in  the  pack,  who  run  together  between 
the  stumps,  or  who  pass  together  on  the  wing  of  an 
army  ''Soccer"  eleven.  He  establishes  a  trust  and 
faith  that,  when  the  day  comes,  will  take  his  men,  if 
the  needs  be,  to  Hades  for  him  and  for  the  Empire 
that  he  and  they  represent.  That  is  the  reason  why 
the  association  advocate  to-day  the  necessity  of 
officers  as  judges  and  referees. 

But  just  as  they  must  be  good  officers  if  they  are 
to  lead,  so  they  must  be  practical  judges  if  they  are  to 
judge ;  therefore  it  is  imperative  that  not  one  or  two 
but  every  officer  in  the  services  should  fit  himself  to 
act  as  arbiter  in  the  pastime  which  the  Army  Council 
has  recognized  as  a  most  important  factor  in  the  train- 
ing of  British  sailors  and  soldiers. 

At  the  present  day  every  regiment  in  the  army, 
at  home  and  abroad,  belongs  to  the  association, 
fights  under  its  rules,  and  accepts  its  laws  in  both 
letter  and  spirit.  I  think  boxing  in  the  army  has 
never  been  in  a  more  flourishing  state  than  in  this 
year  of  grace.  I  believe  that  there  is  no  regiment 
that  hasn't  its  boxing  club,  and  that  certainly  in  most 


2o8  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

cases,  I  think  in  all,  these  clubs  are  well  supported  by 
the  men  and  regarded  as  a  most  excellent  thing  by 
the  officers.  I  have  been  told  by  an  officer  who  is 
certainly  qualified  to  know,  that  the  average  number 
of  men  who  actually  fight  during  a  year  in  a  regiment 
is  certainly  not  less  than  200. 

And  the  standard  is  getting  better  too.  Not  so 
much  do  I  mean  that  the  star  men  in  the  army  are 
more  able  to  hold  their  own  in  the  civilian  ring  when 
they  retire,  although  I  think  that  too  is  the  case,  but 
the  standard  throughout  the  service  is  improving. 
The  form  at  regimental  tournaments  or  garrison 
tournaments  has  improved  vastly. 

And  army  boxing  now  is  clean,  straight  fighting, 
more  like  what  one  sees  at  the  inter-'varsity  or 
public  schools  championships.  One  seldom  sees  any 
clinching,  butting,  holding,  knee,  elbow  or  wrist- 
hitting,  glove-holding,  nerve-gouging  or  any  other  of 
the  innumerable  dirty  tricks  that  are  practised  by  low- 
class  pro's. 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  soldier  should  not 
shine  in  even  the  upper  circles  of  boxing.  He  is 
picked  for  his  physique  when  he  enlists,  which  he  does 
very  young,  his  surroundings  and  mode  of  life  are 
exceptionally  healthy,  every  facility  consistent  with 
the  efficient  carrying  out  of  his  military  duties  is  given 
him  for  training,  and  while  the  latter  may  interfere 
with  the  routine  of  the  most  vigorous  training,  still 
they  are  in  themselves  an  aid  to  it.  I  believe  Sayers 
used  to  walk  to  Edinburgh  and  back  before  his  fights, 
so  a  field-day  or  route-march  must  be  good  for 
condition. 


MILITARY  BOXING  209 

Of  course,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  soldier  and 
sailor  have  already  made  their  names  famous  in  the 
ring.  No  history  of  boxing  would  be  complete  without 
notice  of  "  Tiger"  Smith,  Corporal  Sunshine,  Gunner 
Moir,  or  Bombardier  Wells,  to  name  but  a  few  of  our 
shining  lights  ;  but  I  must  say  I  look  forward  to  the 
day  when  any  man  who  can  win  at  Aldershot  will  be 
good  enough  to  win  anywhere,  and  soldiers'  names 
will  be  found  enrolled  on  the  list  of  world  champions. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

REGIMENTAL^  BOXING    CLUBS   AND 
MILITARY   BOXING  TOURNAMENTS 

"  Now,  Costa,  let  us  go  into  the  tents  and  put  on  the  gloves,  and  I 
will  show  you  what  a  glorious  thing  it  is  to  be  alive,  brother." 

— Borrow,  Lavengro. 

ANY  successes  that  may  have  been  won  by 
soldiers  in  the  ring,  any  record  number  of 
entries  for  the  service  championships  one 
may  hear  of,  or,  one  may  almost  say,  any  keenness 
shown  by  the  soldier  in  the  matter  of  boxing,  are  due 
to  the  regimental  boxing  clubs.  It  is  they  who  are 
the  *'  fons  et  origo  virtutis  "  :  it  is  they  who  encourage 
the  shy  recruit  to  put  on  the  gloves,  pick  out  the  most 
likely  ones  from  each  batch  and,  while  by  no  means 
neglecting  the  remainder,  specially  coach  and  bring 
them  out  till  their  shyness  is  dissolved  into  the  quiet 
self-confidence  of  the  man  who  knows  that  he  can 
take  care  of  himself  between  the  ropes,  and  their  wild 
swings  are  turned  into  clean,  straight,  well-timed  and 
well-judged  punches. 

It  is  they  who  send  this  pick  of  the  recruits  a  trial 
in  a  regimental  novice's  competition,  and  by  tactful 
but  firm  refereeing  impress  more  deeply  on  their  minds 
the  truth  that  they  have  inculcated  in  their  training 


A  RIGHT  HAND  CR0SS-C0UNTP:R  :  THE  MEANS  MOST  COMMONLY  EMPLOYED 
FOR  A  KNOCK-OUT.  IN  THIS  INSTANCE  THE  BLOW  IS  MADE  EASIER  BE- 
CAUSE THE  BOXER  ON  THE  LEFT  HAS  LED  OFF  WITH  HIS  LEFT  FOOT 
CROOKED;    AND   HIS   ARM   THEREFORE    GOES   VERY   WIDE   OF   ITS   MARK 

{ see  pages  33  and  80) 


BOXING  CLUBS  AND  BOXING  TOURNAMENTS     2 1 1 

from  the  beginning  that  intentional  fouling  leads  to 
instant  disqualification  in  service  boxing. 

In  fact  it  is  they  who  find,  and  when  found  infuse 
with  enthusiasm,  the  raw  material,  which  may  become 
anything  from  a  boxer  at  a  novice  competition — and 
some  men  gamely  enter  again  and  again  and  never 
get  beyond  this — to  a  service  champion. 

So  let  us  start  with  them,  for  without  them  we  are 
lost. 

All  regiments  have  boxing  clubs  and  have  had  them 
for  years.  They  are  controlled  by  an  officer,  assisted 
as  a  general  rule,  which  should  be  universal,  by  a 
committee.  Now  the  personel  of  this  committee  has  a 
very  marked  effect  on  the  boxing  of  the  regiment  for 
good  or  ill.  The  majority  of  its  members  are  especi- 
ally chosen  as  being  in  close  daily  touch  with  the 
boxers,  and  those  who  might  be  boxers  with  en- 
couragement. In  fact  they  are  usually  privates  picked 
for  their  intelligence,  tact,  and  keenness.  It  is  on 
these  members  of  the  committee  that  the  club  relies 
for  the  personal  appeal  and  homely  persuasions  that  no 
one  else  can  give. 

**  Come  now,  you  ought  to  box.  There's  old 
Nosey  Green  of  *  C '  just  gone  and  won  a  blooming 
pot  and  'e  wouldn't  join  the  club  last  year,  like  you 
now.  Said  'e  couldn't  box.  And  now  look  at  'im. 
And  'e  with  not  'alf  your  reach." 

This  committee  is  formed  of  a  general  and 
executive  committee,  of  which  the  former  includes 
the  latter. 

The  general  committee  is  composed  of  a  president 
and  a   vice-president,  both   of  whom  are  officers,   a 


212  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

non-commissioned  officer — usually  a  sergeant — to 
represent  the  regiment,  and  a  representative  from 
companies  or  squadrons. 

The  executive  committee  is  formed  of  the  first 
three  of  these. 

It  is  on  the  latter  committee  that  the  control  of 
the  club  devolves.  It  is  they  who  arrange  and  carry 
out  meetings ;  select  the  regimental  team ;  elect 
members  to  the  club  ;  have  control  of  the  club  room  ; 
appoint  the  instructor  ;  and  take  action  in  the  event 
of  unsportsmanlike  behaviour  or  misconduct. 

As  I  said  before,  the  functions  of  the  general 
committee  are  more  of  a  personal  nature.  They  are 
responsible  for  any  company  boxing  arrangements 
there  may  be — gloves,  punching  balls,  etc.,  kept  in  and 
belonging  to  the  company  alone  for  the  purpose  of  a 
few  minutes'  practice  when  perhaps  the  club  is  shut : 
they,  by  precept  and  example,  preach  the  joy  of  the 
ring  and  urge  men  to  join  the  club,  and  having  joined 
to  enter  for  meetings,  and  hold  up  the  best  standards 
of  boxing  as  those  to  be  followed. 

Now  we  come  to  the  question  of  whether  only  a 
chosen  few  or  any  boxing  man  in  the  regiment  should 
belong  to  the  club.  Both  methods  have  advantages. 
The  former  has  the  great  one  that  from  selection 
comes  ambition  to  belong  to  the  club  :  it  becomes  an 
honour  to  do  so.  There  are  also  certain  advantages 
to  be  got  out  of  the  club  in  which  only  members 
partake.  For  instance,  free  tuition,  use  of  the  club 
room  and  gear,  and  admission  to  meetings. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  I  like  to  think  of  the  club 
as  open  to  all  and  caring  for  them  from  their  first 


BOXING  CLUBS  AND  BOXING  TOURNAMENTS     2 1 3 

donning  gloves,  not  only  taking  them  up  when  they 
have  proved  their  worth.  Tuition  and  the  use  of  the 
club  room  are  even  more  important  to  the  beginner 
than  to  the  expert. 

As  a  rule  there  is  no  subscription  to  regimental 
boxing  clubs.  They  can  easily  be  made  self-sup- 
porting from  the  sale  of  seats  at  meetings,  but  I  am 
not  sure  that  it  is  for  their  good  that  they  should  be 
so.  As  a  rule  a  meeting  should  pay  its  way,  but  it 
is  often  advisable  to  hold  a  small  meeting — say,  for 
company  novices — for  which  it  hardly  seems  fair  to 
charge  entrance. 

The  club  room  has  usually,  like  the  impoverished 
gentleman's  furniture,  "a  double  debt  to  pay."  If  not 
**a  bed  by  night,  a  chest  of  drawers  by  day,"  at  any 
rate  it  was  usually  designed  for  some  more  purely 
military  purpose  than  a  boxing  room.  Generally  its 
real  object  is  to  be  a  drill  shed,  and  it  is  only  pressed 
into  service  as  the  boxing  room  in  its  leisure  moments. 
And  then  one  is  never  certain.  I  remember  one 
terrible  occasion  when  a  meeting  had  to  be  postponed 
on  the  day  on  which  it  was  to  be  held,  because  our 
room  was  suddenly  wanted  for  some  men  marching 
through  the  station  to  sleep  in. 

Of  course  it  must  be  fitted  up  with  the  correct 
paraphernalia.  A  ring,  at  least  one  punch-ball,  skipping- 
ropes,  Indian  clubs,  dumb-bells,  gloves,  embrocation, 
a  weighing  machine,  etc. 

Naturally  there  must  be  a  storeman  in  charge  of 
all  this  kit,  to  see  that  it  is  kept  in  good  repair,  and 
that  the  room  is  kept  clean. 

If  the  shed  is  sufficiently  convenient  it  can  be  used 


214  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

for  novice  tournaments,  but  for  anything  else  it  is 
better  to  borrow  the  Garrison  Gymnasium. 

There  must  be  an  instructor.  He  should  be 
good-tempered,  popular,  able  to  impart  what  he 
knows,  and  above  all  an  absolutely  clean  fighter.  I 
fancy  a  good  ** has-been"  is  about  as  good  an  in- 
structor as  can  be  got,  one  not  past  his  prime,  but 
who  does  not  actually  fight,  or  at  any  rate  not  so 
as  to  interfere  with  his  duties.  I  see  no  reason  why 
he  should  not  be  found  in  the  corps.  It  will  be 
cheaper  than  engaging  a  civilian,  and  he  will  be  more 
likely  to  impart  the  lesson  of  clean  fighting  to  his 
pupils. 

The  soldier   generally  steps   into   the   ring   well 
trained.     And   it   is  condition  that   tells   as    well  in 
taking  punishment  as  in  lasting.     A  blow  that  will 
send  an  untrained  man  to  sleep  will  not  make  one 
in  hard  condition  grunt.     Now   the   reason  for  this 
excellent  condition  of  the  soldier  is  two-fold.      He  is 
keen   and    he   starts   half-trained.     That's   the    real 
reason.     The  swell  civilian  bruiser,  who  spends  his 
time  between  his  occasional  appearance  in   the  ring 
in  a  most  dissipated  life  (what  time  he  is  not  writing 
to  the  papers  explaining  that,  "dead  game  sport"  as 
he  is,  he  cannot  possibly  look  at  any  challenge  whose 
losing  end  doesn't  touch  a  few  thousand),  has  naturally 
to  undergo  a  very  vigorous  preparation.     He  has  to 
get  off  a  vast  of  bad  tissue,  and  supple  and  harden 
himself  all  over.     Not  so  the  soldier.     He  may  just 
have  come  off  manoeuvres  when  he  goes  into  training, 
and  if  he's  not  as  hard  as  steel  and  supple  as  whipcord 
then  it's  not  the  fault  of  their  managers.     At  any  time 


BOXING  CLUBS  AND  BOXING  TOURNAMENTS     2 1 5 

of  the  year  he  is  doing  route-marches,  or  training  of 
some  kind  that  exercises  his  muscles.  He  goes  to  bed 
early  and  gets  up  early  :  he  eats  good,  solid,  whole- 
some food,  nourishing  and  digestible  :  he  is  out  in  the 
open  air  most  of  the  day,  and  his  windows  are  open 
if  he  is  indoors.  Great  care  is  taken  about  his  sani- 
tation and  his  health  :  he  cannot  drink  immoderately 
or  he  would  not  be  able  to  carry  out  his  marches. 

Now,  if  you  consult  any  expert  on  training  or  read 
any  work  on  the  subject,  you  will  find  that  these  are 
the  things  they  lay  greatest  stress  on. 

So  if  one  starts  training  already  half-trained,  one 
must  certainly  have  a  shade  the  best  of  the  weights. 

I  remember  reading  in  an  old  book  on  sports  very 
elaborate  directions  for  training.  This  training  was 
for  rowing,  which  even  now  is  strenuous,  but  in  those 
days  appeared  to  be  little  short  of  barbarous.  How- 
ever, it  was  not  the  vigour  of  the  directions  that 
struck  me  so  much  as  the  fact  that  they  begin  so  very 
much  ab  initio.  They  took  the  extreme  case  (at 
least  I  hope  so,  even  in  those  days)  of  an  under- 
graduate who  had  just  recovered  from  an  attack  of 
delirium  tremens  and  wished  to  row  in  his  college 
eight. 

I  forget  the  exact  instructions,  but  remember  they 
laid  great  stress  on  the  necessity  of  beginning  very 
slowly.  Festine  lente  was  their  watchword.  In  this 
case,  for  the  first  few  days,  ten  minutes'  gentle  snake- 
killing  on  the  walls  of  the  wishful  oar's  *'bedder'* 
would  have  been  ample  for  a  start,  I  consider ;  but 
if  my  memory  serves  me  aright,  the  directions  did  not 
begin  until  a  stage  or  two  after  that. 


2i6  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

So  you  see  it  rather  depends  on  how  fit  you  are 
when  you  start  training  how  vigorous  a  course  you 
need  do.  For  the  soldier  who  is  doing  his  daily  work, 
and  is  going  to  the  club  room  with  some  regularity 
two  or  three  times  a  week  just  for  the  fun  of  the  thing 
to  spar  or  punch  the  ball,  or  swing  the  clubs,  three  or 
four  weeks  is  really  ample  time  for  him  to  get  into 
hard  condition  for  an  ordinary  three  two-minute 
round  competition.  It  can  be  done  in  less,  but  it  is 
best  to  take  training  slowly,  I  think. 

Of  course  for  a  big  meeting  or  longer  contest, 
longer  will  be  necessary. 

About  diet.  The  food  the  men  get  (wholesome, 
once  cooked  meat,  vegetables,  tea,  bread,  etc.)  is 
very  suitable  for  training.  The  only  thing  is  to  avoid 
starchy  and  fatty  foods,  but  a  man  in  training  can 
easily  arrange  to  swop  his  share  of  potatoes,  fat,  etc., 
for  greens  and  lean  meat.  He  should  avoid  bread  as 
much  as  possible,  unless  he  can  arrange  to  get  it 
toasted  at  the  cook-house,  but  I'm  afraid  that  the 
good  nature  of  not  many  compiany  cooks  will  run  to 
that. 

He  should  avoid  too  great  quantities  of  the  strong 
barrack- room  tea. 

If  he  must  have  something  to  stay  his  inner  man 
after  his  evening's  work  in  the  club  room,  or  on  the 
track,  and  cannot  arrange  to  keep  back  some  of  his 
dinner,  he  should  beware  of  the  majority  of  the  tempt- 
ing delicacies  offered  on  the  coffee-shop  bar.  They  are 
doubtless  very  seductive,  but  not  good  for  training.  But 
he  can  usually  get  a  wholesome  supper  there,  if  he  makes 
up  his  mind  to  avoid  the  more  fancy  dishes.     Some 


BOXING  CLUBS  AND  BOXING  TOURNAMENTS     2 1 7 

regiments  make  special  arrangements  for  suppers  of 
men  in  training,  even  to  paying  for  them. 

He  should  avoid  too  much  of  the  **  pop 'V which, 
with  strong  sweet  tea,  has  largely  taken  the  place  of 
the  old  soldiers'  beer — and  lots  of  it. 

A  large  glass  of  the  latter  a  day,  or  even  two, 
does  no  harm. 

About  smoking.  I  think  that  for  a  grown  man 
who  is  accustomed  to  using  tobacco  regularly  to  knock 
it  off  suddenly  altogether  does  more  harm  than  good. 
But  the  young  soldier  and  the  man  who  only  smokes 
occasionally  can  certainly  stop  it  with  advantage. 
Anyhow  stick  to  a  pipe.  Cigarettes,  especially  the 
cheaper  brands,  are  the  devil  for  training. 

About  work.  If  the  soldier  is  out  training  (I 
mean  military  training)  all  the  morning  he  cannot  do 
any,  at  any  rate  before  lunch,  but  the  exercise  he  gets 
will  do  him  good.  He  should  remember  to  put  his 
back  into  everything  he  does,  from  sloping  arms  to 
carrying  coal,  if  he  wishes  to  utilize  his  duties  to  help 
him  in  his  training.  A  former  champion  of  England 
attributed  the  terrible  punches  he  was  wont  to  deal 
out  to  his  opponents  in  the  ring  very  largely  to  the 
muscles  he  had  developed  when  throwing  bricks  to  a 
mate  in  his  former  profession  of  brick-layer. 

The  custom  of  striking  men  off  duty  for  training 
purposes  is  dying  out,  as  it  is  recognized  that  it  is 
against  the  spirit  of  service  athletics  as  much  as 
against  that  of  service  efficiency.  And  I  remember 
once  seeing  a  football  team  strolling  round  barracks 
in  the  early  morning  in  India  (where  that  time  and  the 
evening  are  the  only  two  periods  of  the  day  during 


2i8  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

which  training  can  be  done)  having  been  excused  a 
route-march  on  the  ground  that  they  were  training. 
And  yet  they  meant  no  harm  by  it  and  certainly  not 
to  shirk.  Only  it  had  not  struck  them  that  a  route- 
march  would  probably  be  better  for  their  training 
than  their  morning  stroll. 

If  he  is  merely  on  a  parade  or  two  during  the 
morning  he  can  manage  a  sharp  walk,  finishing  with 
a  few  fast  bursts  on  the  track  just  to  open  his  pipes, 
or  a  run,  or  ten  minutes  with  the  punch- ball  or  the 
clubs  or  the  skipping  rope  or  merely  a  little  shadow 
fighting,  sandwiched  in  between  his  parades. 

He  will  have  to  put  in  most  of  his  work  in  the 
afternoon. 

After  dinner  and  half-an-hour's  or  an  hour's  rest  he 
can  go  for  a  walk  or  run,  its  length  and  speed  depend- 
ing on  the  stage  of  the  training.  A  long  fast  run  is 
not  good  even  in  the  more  advanced  stages  :  it  binds 
the  muscles  of  the  legs  and  makes  one  slow  in  foot- 
work. Much  better  is  a  walk  with  occasional  hundred 
yard  bursts  at  top  speed. 

Then  he  will  go  to  the  club  room  and  put  in  an 
hour  or  two's  real  hard  work.  Five  minutes  with  the 
instructor  practising  his  weak  blows  and  guards,  a 
sharp  spar  with  a  comrade,  a  round  with  the  ball 
or  skipping  rope,  shadow  fighting,  a  sponge  down 
followed  by  a  vigorous  rub  with  a  harsh  towel  and 
afterwards  with  embrocation ;  all,  or  any  of  these 
may  be  indulged  in.  Men  have  a  great  tendency  to 
practise  only  their  good  punches.  A  man  has  a  good 
right  hook  to  the  body.  Straightway  he  spends  all 
his  time  practising  it  on  ball  and  man  until  the  whole 


BOXING  CLUBS  AND  BOXING  TOURNAMENTS     2 1 9 

regiment  knows  about  Dash  and  his  right  to  the  body, 
and  he  is  very  lucky  if  he  is  given  a  chance  to  bring  it 
off  in  a  competition  ;  besides  having  wasted  much 
valuable  time  in  practising  a  thing  he  was  already  good 
at,  when  he  would  have  been  much  better  employed 
strengthening  some  weak  joint  in  his  armour — a  poor 
straight  left,  faulty  foot-work,  a  slow  slip,  or  what  not. 

Training  abroad  is  of  necessity  somewhat  modi- 
fied by  the  climate.  In  Gibraltar,  Malta,  and,  to  a 
less  extent,  South  Africa,  very  much  the  same  routine 
can  be  carried  out.  But  in  India  the  case  is  different, 
and  training  varies  with  the  station,  the  only  general 
rule  being  that,  the  climate  being  more  trying  and 
the  food  less  nourishing,  a  man  cannot  stand  the 
same  vigorous  preparation.  Exactly  the  same  is 
seen  in  racehorses  in  the  country  and  for  the  same 
reason. 

In  the  plains  in  the  hot  weather  very  little  can  be 
done.  A  team  going  up  for  a  tournament  in  a  hill- 
station  in  the  hot  weather  will  probably  have  to 
begin  its  training  in  the  plains.  And  when  one  has 
lain  unclothed  and  sweating  at  every  pore  under  a 
punkah  all  day,  one  cannot  do  very  much  work  in 
the  evening  without  taking  too  much  out  of  oneself. 

In  a  good  plain  station  in  the  winter  much  more 
can  be  attempted,  but  one  must  remember  that  it 
is  still  hot  at  any  rate  in  the  middle  of  the  day  and 
the  food  less  nourishing  than  at  home,  so  not  even 
then  can  too  much  be  attempted  without  staleness  as 
the  result. 

In  the  hills  more  can  be  done,  but  not  on  first 
arrival.      This   is   where    a    lot  of  boxers   make  a 


220  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

mistake.  They  come  up  from  the  plains  in  the  hot 
weather,  and  at  once  feel  the  exhilaration  of  the  hills, 
and  attempt  too  much.  They  forget  that  neither 
their  lungs  nor  their  insides  are  yet  accustomed  to 
the  difference  in  the  density  of  air  and  the  climate. 
They  are  surprised  at  the  way  they  gasp  for  breath 
after  their  first  run,  but  in  a  few  days  they  master 
that,  and  then  find  that  by  over-exerting  themselves 
they  have  put  their  insides  out  of  order,  and  they  will 
be  lucky  if  they  get  them  right  again  by  the  tour- 
nament. 

Boxing  meetings  in  a  regiment  should  be 
frequent,  bright,  and  give  classes  for  all.  Frequent, 
to  prevent  the  idea  of  boxing  from  slipping  out  of  the 
men's  heads  :  bright,  to  encourage  many  to  enter  and 
all  to  attend :  and  give  classes  for  all,  because  that  is 
the  intention  of  service  boxing. 

The  next  step  upwards  is  garrison  meetings,  then 
command,  then  army  and  navy  and  any  champion- 
ships. 

The  organizers  of  each  of  these  classes  of  meetings 
as  a  rule  agree  to  give  a  portion  (25  per  cent,  or  less) 
of  their  profits  to  the  R.  N.  &  A.  B.  A.  if  they  are  a 
financial  success,  in  return  for  which  the  association 
guarantee  their  losses  if  they  are  a  financial  failure. 

At  any  of  these  meetings  good  fights  may  be 
seen,  though  not  always  the  pleasantest  to  watch  at 
the  biggest  meetings. 

I  have  seen  a  couple  of  9  stone  novices  who  had 
only  been  at  the  game  a  few  months,  but  who  had 
been  thoroughly  grounded  in  the  first  essentials  of  it 
during  that  time,  put  up  a  fight  that  everyone  said 


BOXING  CLUBS  AND  BOXING  TOURNAMENTS     221 

was  a  treat  to  see.  At  each  other  they  went  hammer 
and  tongs,  pincers  and  nails.  The  nicer  subtleties 
of  the  game  were  not  for  them,  but  they  had  learnt 
by  heart  the  straight  left  and  the  straight  right,  and 
they  kept  plugging  these  two  in  as  fast  as  they  could. 
Occasionally  they  remembered  that  their  instructor 
had  said  something  about  guarding,  so  they  guarded ; 
but  only  occasionally. 

And  instructive,  well  thought-out  fights  may  be 
seen.  I  remember  in  the  finals  of  the  heavies  at 
the  All- India  Championship  of  1909  seeing  Private 
Clohessy,  The  Royal  Munster  Fusiliers,  take  on 
Bombardier  Wells,  who  was  beaten  the  other  day  by 
the  French  crack  Carpentier.  The  Fusilier  looked 
to  be  giving  away  a  tremendous  amount  in  height 
and  reach  but  to  have  the  better  of  his  man  in  weight. 
Wells  had  not  furnished  then  as  he  has  now,  and 
looked  short  of  a  rib.  I  overheard  someone  say  that 
it  looked  like  a  fight  between  a  barrel  and  a  hop-pole. 

Both  men  had  evidently  made  up  their  minds  as 
to  their  plan  of  campaign,  and  it  was  extraordinary  how 
steadfastly  they  stuck  to  them.  Clohessy  meant  to  sac- 
rifice all  to  get  inside  the  gunner's  guard  and  at  those 
light  flanks,  which  even  then  it  was  whispered  would 
not  stand  too  much  hammering,  or  his  jaw.  He  was 
as  tough  as  oak  and  knew  it,  and  meant  to  take  any 
punishment  he  might  get  on  his  journey  to  Wells' 
body,  and  say  nothing  about  it  if  only  he  could  get 
there.  He  only  wanted  to  get  in  once.  The  knock- 
out was  his  idea.  Points  he  did  not  trouble  about. 
The  Bombardier,  on  the  other  hand,  intended  to  rely 
on  his  extraordinary  reach  and  punishing  left  to  keep 


2  22  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

him  out,  and  by  stop,  stop,  stopping  him  to  pile  up 
points  and  win  on  them. 

I  do  not  think  that  the  men  had  ever  met  on  the 
canvas  floor  before,  although  I  knew  them  both — in 
fact  had  judged  them.  But  they  had  taken  each 
other's  measure  to  the  inch  and  had  each  determined 
on  their  line  of  action. 

Almost  as  soon  as  the  gong  went  the  Fusilier 
rushed  heavily  forward,  led  with  his  left  at  the  jaw, 
lunged  again  and  shot  out  his  right  with  the  full 
force  of  the  rush  and  lunge  behind  it. 

He  always  appeared  a  little  clumsy  in  his  foot 
work,  but  was  in  reality  by  no  means  so,  and  could 
move  his  arms  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  and  the 
precision  and  driving  power  of  piston  rods. 

The  thing  was  so  quick,  especially  coming  so 
unexpectedly  from  so  stuffy  built  a  man,  that  one 
expected  to  hear  the  back  of  the  Bombardier's  head 
crash  against  the  canvas.  But,  no  :  he  stepped  back 
ever  such  a  little,  shot  out  his  long  left,  and  by  taking 
him  on  the  head  kept  his  man  off. 

That  is  the  history  of  the  fight. 

Again  and  again  did  the  Fusilier  rush  in  with 
his  terrible  two-handed  punches,  now  trying  one 
method,  now  another,  but  always  going  for  the 
knock-out  and  never  minding  what  he  got  on  the 
way.  No  mere  ignorant  rushing,  mind  you,  but 
each  attack  carefully  planned  and  thought  out  in  a 
master  mind,  and  different  from  the  last  in  all  but 
its  intention. 

And  each  time  did  the  gunner  side-step  or  duck 
or  stop — but  oftenest  stop — not  very  hard,  but  hard 


BOXING  CLUBS  AND  BOXING  TOURNAMENTS     223 

enough  to  keep  his  man  outside  his  tremendous  reach 
and  score  a  point. 

Never  have  I  seen  two  men  stick  so  doggedly  each  to 
his  own  plan  of  action  and  yet  vary  it  with  such  genius. 

Not  that  Wells  escaped  punishment :  often  did 
the  infantryman  get  a  blow  in,  but  never  with  the 
full  force  he  had  put  into  it.  The  Bombardier  was 
always  just  retreating  or  ducking  or  just  met  the 
other  with  his  left  first. 

And  so  Bombardier  Wells  won  on  points.  But 
I  believe  that  had  one  of  those  sledge-hammer  blows 
of  Private  Clohessy's  got  fairly  home,  he  would  not 
have  done  so. 

A  most  instructive  fight. 

And,  of  course,  there  is  lots  of  humour  in  army 
boxing,  as  in  everything  else  in  which  Atkins  has 
a  hand.  He  has  an  incisive  way  of  expressing  himself 
that  is  often  uncomfortably  funny  if  one  has  to  keep 
one's  face.  I  remember  once  at  a  tournament  held 
at  Bombay  between  men  from  the  troops  that  had 
been  brought  down  there  for  the  purpose  of  welcoming 
His  Majesty  the  King  on  his  way  to  the  Durbar, 
and  men  from  the  East  India  Squadron  and  the 
Escorting  Squadron  to  His  Majesty's  ship,  a  sailor 
far  back  amongst  the  onlookers  suspected  the  Tommy 
who  was  fighting  his  mate  of  hitting  with  an  open 
glove,  and  straightway  gave  voice  to  his  opinion. 

"What  abart  shuttin'  your  blooming  'ands?"  he 
demanded. 

Quick  as  a  flash  one  of  the  Tommy's  seconds 
took  up  the  challenge,  "What  abart  shutting  your 
blooming  mouth  ?  " 


APPENDICES 

APPENDIX    I 

DEFINITION  OF  AN  AMATEUR. 

An  amateur  is  one  who  has  never  competed  for  a  money  prize, 
staked  bet,  or  declared  wager ;  who  has  not  competed  with  or  against 
a  Professional  for  any  prize  (except  with  the  express  sanction  of  the 
Amateur  Boxing  Association),  and  who  has  never  taught,  pursued,  or 
assisted  in  the  practice  of  athletic  exercises  as  a  means  of  obtaining 
a  livelihood  or  pecuniary  gain. 

RULES  OF  THE  AMATEUR  BOXING  ASSOCIATION. 

1.  In  all  open  competitions  the  ring  shall  be  roped,  and  not  less 
than  12  ft.  or  more  than  20  ft.  square. 

2.  Competitors  to  box  in  light  boots  or  shoes  (without  spikes),  or 
in  socks,  knickerbockers,  breeches  or  trousers,  and  jerseys.  The 
gloves  to  be  of  a  standard  weight  of  8  oz.  each. 

3.  Weights  to  be,  for  Championship  Competitions — Bantam,  not 
exceeding  8  st.  4  lb. ;  Feather,  not  exceeding  9  st.  ;  Light,  not  ex- 
ceeding 10  St. ;  Middle,  not  exceeding  11  st.  4  lb. ;  Heavy,  any  weight. 
Competitors  to  weigh  on  the  day  of  competition  in  boxing  costume, 
without  gloves.  For  all  other  competitions  weights  to  be  decided  by 
the  Association  or  Club  promoting  the  same. 

4.  In  all  open  competitions  the  number  of  rounds  to  be  contested 
shall  be  three.  The  duration  of  the  first  two  rounds  shall  be  three 
minutes  each,  and  of  the  third  four  minutes,  with  an  interval  of  one 
minute  between  each  round.  A  timekeeper  (who  shall  be  stationed 
beside  the  referee)  shall  be  appointed. 

5.  In  competitions  where  there  are  more  than  four  competitors, 
a  sufficient  number  of  byes  shall  be  drawn  in  the  first  series,  so  as 

15 


2  26  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

to  reduce  the  number  of  remaining  competitors  to  4,  8,  or  16  as  the 
case  may  be,  and  the  drawers  of  such  byes  shall  not  have  to  box  them  ; 
and  in  the  second  series  those  who  have  received  byes  shall  compete 
before  those  who  have  already  boxed. 

Byes  that  may  subsequently  arise  shall  be  sparred  for  the  specified 
time  with  an  opponent  approved  by  the  judges  and  referee. 

6.  Each  competitor  shall  be  attended  by  one  second  only,  and  no 
advice  or  coaching  shall  be  given  to  a  competitor  by  his  second,  or 
any  other  person,  during  the  progress  of  the  bout. 

7.  In  all  open  competitions  bouts  shall  be  decided  by  two  judges 
and  a  referee,  who  shall  be  stationed  apart  from  each  other.  The 
judges  shall  award  at  the  end  of  each  of  the  first  two  rounds  five  marks, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  third  round  seven  marks  to  the  better  man,  and 
a  lesser  number  to  the  other  man  according  to  his  merits.  When  the 
men  are  equal  the  maximum  number  must  be  given  to  each.  At  the 
end  of  each  bout  the  judges'  scoring  papers  shall  be  collected  by  an 
official  appointed  for  that  purpose  ;  and  in  cases  where  the  judges  agree, 
such  official  shall  announce  their  decision,  but  should  the  judges  dis- 
agree, the  official  shall  so  inform  the  referee,  and  collect  his  paper, 
but  before  announcing  the  decision  shall  show  the  judge's  papers  to  the 
referee. 

8.  The  referee  shall  give  his  vote  when  the  judges  disagree,  or 
he  can  order  further  rounds  limited  to  two  minutes  each.  Two  of  the 
three  opinions  must  agree  before  a  winner  can  be  declared,  otherwise 
an  extra  round  is  compulsory.  The  decision  of  the  judges  or  referee, 
as  the  case  may  be,  shall  be  final  and  without  appeal. 

9.  Marks  shall  be  awarded  as  follows  : — For  "  attack  " — direct  clean 
hits  with  the  knuckle  part  of  the  glove  of  either  hand,  on  any  part  of 
the  front  or  sides  of  the  head,  or  body  above  the  belt ;  and  for 
"defence" — guarding,  slipping,  ducking,  counter-hitting,  or  getting 
away.  Where  competitors  are  otherwise  equal,  the  majority  of  marks 
shall  be  given  to  the  one  who  does  most  of  the  leading  off,  or  who 
displays  the  better  style. 

10.  The  referee  shall  have  power  to  disqualify  a  competitor  for  any 
of  the  following  acts  : — For  hitting  below  the  belt,  for  hitting  with 
the  open  glove,  the  inside  or  "butt"  of  the  hand,  or  with  the  wrist 
or  elbow  ;  for  striking  a  competitor  when  he  is  down  ;  for  holding, 
butting,  shouldering,  intentionally  falling  without  receiving  a  blow, 
wrestling  or  roughing,  or  for  any  other  act  he  may  deem  foul. 

11.  In  the  event  of  a  competitor  being  down,  his  opponent  shall 
retire  out  of  distance,  and  shall  not  recommence  boxing  until  told  to 
do  so  by  the  referee.  A  man  is  to  be  considered  down  even  when 
he  is  on  one  or  both  feet,  if  at  the  same  time  any  other  part  of  his 


APPENDIX  II  227 

body  is  touching  'the  ground.  The  referee  shall  be  empowered  to 
stop  a  round  if  in  his  opinion  a  man  is  outclassed  or  unfit  to  continue, 
and  that  man  shall  be  deemed  to  have  lost  the  bout. 

12.  In  all  competitions  any  competitor  failing  to  resume  sparring 
when  time  is  called  shall  lose  the  bout. 

13.  The  breaking  of  any  of  these  rules  by  a  competitor  or  his 
second  shall  render  such  competitor  liable  to  disqualifiication. 

14.  The  judges  and  referee  shall  decide  (i)  the  interpretation  of 
any  of  these  rules  ;  (2)  any  question  not  provided  for  in  these  rules. 


APPENDIX    II 

THE  ROYAL  NAVY  AND  ARMY  BOXING  ASSOCIATION. 

Weights. 

Competitions  in  all  the  Royal  Navy  and  Army  Championships  for 
Officers  and  men  will  be  held  in  the  following  weights  : — 


Heavy  Weights     . 
Light-Heavy  Weight 
Middle  Weights    . 
Welter  Weights     . 
Light  Weights 
Feather  Weights  . 


Catch  Weights. 

12  St.  7  lb.  and  under. 

II  St.  6  lb.    „         „ 

lost.  7  lb.  „ 
9  St.  9  lb.  „ 
9  St.  and  under. 


Method  of  Drawing. 

The  number  of  entries  in  a  competition,  if  not  already  a  multiple 
of  2,  z>.,  4,  8,  16,  32,  etc.,  must  be  made  so  by  means  of  "  byes." 

For  example,  if  there  are  five  entries  for  a  competition,  the 
number  must  be  brought  up  to  eight  by  giving  byes  to  three  com- 
petitors. 

By  this  system  all  byes  are  fought  off  during  the  first  series 
of  bouts. 

The  best  means  of  "  drawing  "  is,  put  the  names  of  all  the  competitors 
in  a  cap.  Say  there  are  ten  entries,  then  there  must  be  six  byes  in 
order  to  bring  the  total  to  sixteen. 

The  first  four  names  drawn  out  of  the  cap  will  fight,  /.^.,  first  v.  second, 
and  third  v.  fourth,  while  the  remaining  six  will  be  given  byes  in  the 
same  order  as  they  are  drawn. 


228 


THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 


There  will  be  no  further  drawing  for  places,  the  winner  of  the  first 
bout  will  fight  the  winner  of  the  second,  and  so  on  in  each  series  as  : — 


1st 
Series. 


I     Iwinner' 
^    jwinner 

5 


2nd 

Series. 


Winner 


7 
8 

9 
lo 


\  I  Winner 


Winner 


Winner/ 


Semi- 
final. 


Winner  \ 


Final. 


>Winner 


Winner 


Competitors  should  wear  distinguishing  colours  around  their  waists. 


RULES. 
I.  Definition  of  "Amateur." 

(a)  An  Amateur  Member  of  the  Services  can  enter  and  compete  for 
a  prize  in  any  competition  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Royal 
Navy  and  Army  Boxing  Association,  and  not  lose  his  amateur 
status,  although  competitors  in  the  same  competition  may  be 
professionals  and,  if  successful,  take  a  money  prize. 

(d)  If  an  Amateur  Member  of  the  Services  takes  part  in  a  contest 
or  receives  a  money  prize  or  monetary  consideration  for  par- 
ticipation in  any  competition,  or  infringes  the  definition  oif  an 
Amateur  as  defined  by  the  Amateur  Boxing  Association,  other- 
wise than  as  set  forth  in  Sub-paragraph  i.  (as  above),  he  will 
forfeit  his  status  as  an  amateur. 

II.  Referees  and  Judges. 

Contests  and  competitions  will  be  controlled  by  a  referee,  assisted 
by  two  judges.    The  decision  of  the  referee  will  be  final  without  appeal. 


APPENDIX  II  229 


III.  Marking  of  Rounds. 

Contests  20  points  per  round. 

Competitions  20  points  per  round,  and  final  round,  if  of  longer 
duration,  30  points. 

IV.  Awarding  Points. 

Points  will  be  awarded  for — 

{a)  Clean  hits   with  closed  fists,  ?>.,  knuckle  part  of  the  glove  of 
either  hand  on  any  part  of  the  body  or  head  above  the  belt, 
i.e.j  the  navel. 
{b)  Generalship. 

When  points  are  otherwise  equal  the  decision  should  be  in  favour  of 
the  competitor  who  does  most  leading  off,  forces  the  fighting,  or  displays 
the  best  style. 

V.  Method  of  Naming  the  Winner. 

At  the  conclusion  of  a  contest  or  bout  in  a  competition  the  judges 
shall  write  the  name  of  the  winner,  or  otherwise  indicate  their  opinion 
on  a  piece  of  paper.  These  papers  will  be  collected  and  handed  to 
the  referee,  who  will  himself  announce  the  decision  or  direct  it  to  be 
announced. 

VI.  Powers  of  Referee. 

The  referee  shall  have  the  power — 

{a)  To  give  his  casting  vote  when  the  judges  disagree. 

{b)  In  competitions  (not  contests)  to  order  an  extra  round  limited  to 
two  minutes  in  the  event  of  the  judges  disagreeing. 

Note. — If  it  can  possibly  be  avoided,  competitors  should  not  be 
made  to  box  an  extra  round,  especially  in  the  semi-final  round  of  a 
competition,  the  winners  of  which  have  very  little  time  in  which  to 
recuperate  before  having  to  box  in  the  finals. 

It  often  happens  that  at  the  end  of  a  close  "  gruelling  "  fight  a  fourth 
round  is  ordered,  with  the  result  that  the  ultimate  winner  is  so  knocked 
about  that  he  falls  a  victim  in  his  subsequent  bout  to  a  far  inferior,  but 
fresher,  boxer. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  order  an  extra  round  when  two  men  have  been 
boxing  in  an  even  but  timid  manner,  and  practically  converting  the 
bout  into  a  bye. 

{c)  To  stop  a  contest  or  bout  in  a  competition  at  any  stage  if  he 
considers  it  too  one-sided. 


230  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

(d)  To  stop  a  contest  or  a  bout  in  a  competition  at  any  stage  if  he 

considers  the  competitors  are  not  in  earnest.    In  this  case  he 
will  disqualify  one  or  both  competitors. 

(e)  To  stop  a  round  for  any  reason  in  the  interests  of  fair  play. 

He  will  be  entitled  to  deduct  the  time  of  any  stoppage  on 

this  account. 
(/)  The  referee  shall  always  name  the  winner  of  each  bout  in  a 

competition.     He  should  similarly  name  the  winner  of  every 

contest,  but  in  the  event  of  the  judges  disagreeing,   should 

he  find  it  absolutely  impossible  to  decide  the   winner  of  a 

contest,  he  may  declare  it  a  draw. 
(g)  To  disqualify  a  competitor  who  fails  to   immediately  comply 

with  his  orders. 
(h)  To  withhold  a  prize  for  want  of  merit  or  failure  to  put  up  a 

genuine  fight. 
(/")  To  give  a  bout  against  or  to  disqualify  a  competitor  with  or 

without  a  previous   caution  for  committing  any  one  of  the 

following  fouls,  intentionally  or  unintentionally  : — 

FOULS. 

(i.)  Hitting  below  the  belt, 
(ii.)  Hitting  an  opponent  who  is  down,  or  who  is  getting  up  after 

being  down, 
(iii.)  Holding  an  opponent, 
(iv.)  Holding  an  opponent  with  one  hand  and  hitting  with  the  other 

hand, 
(v.)  Butting  with  the  head  or  shouldering. 

(vi.)  Hitting  with  the  inside,  side,  or  butt  of  the  hand,the  wrist  or  elbow 
(vii.)  Hitting  or  flicking  with  the  open  glove, 
(viii.)  Wrestling  or  roughing  at  the  ropes. 

Note. — A  boxer  must  not  prop  up  his  opponent  against  the  ropes 
and  hit  him  while  in  that  position, 
(ix.)  Pushing. 

(x.)  Going  down  without  being  hit. 

(xi.)  A  blow  aimed  deliberately  at  that  part  of  the  body  over  the 
kidneys. 


VII.  Unsportsmanlike  Behaviour. 

Competitors  who  are  disqualified  for  committing  deliberate  fouls,  or 
for  unsportsmanlike  conduct  of  which  it  is  considered  advisable  to  take 
notice,  will  be  debarred  from  receiving  a  prize,  or  taking  any  further 


APPENDIX  II  231 

part  in  the  meeting,  and  must  be  reported  to  the  R.N.  and  A.B.A.  Hon- 
orary Secretary. 

Their  names  will  be  forwarded  to  the  Amateur  Boxing  Association 
or  National  Sporting  Club,  or  both.  A  Black  List  and  Suspension  List 
will  be  kept  and  circulated  to  all  members  of  the  committee,  and  repre- 
sentatives of  the  R.N.  and  A.B.A. 

Note. — An  offender  whose  name  has  been  put  on  the  Black  List 
will  be  suspended  from  boxing  at  any  meeting  for  at  least  six  months. 

Men  suspended  for  a  period  less  than  six  months  will  have  their 
names  put  on  the  Suspension  List. 


VI IL  Clinching  and  Breaking  Away. 

Should  a  clinch  occur,  both  men  must  break  away  immediately,  and 
neither  man  may  deliver  a  blow  without  having  both  hands  free.  In  the 
event  of  its  being  necessary  to  order  the  men  to  break  away  the  referee 
should  stop  the  round,  and  the  competitors  will  not  recommence  boxing 
until  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  referee. 

The  referee  shall,  after  giving  fair  warning,  disqualify  any  competitor 
who  persists  in  holding,  or  endeavours  by  any  other  unfair  means  to 
prevent  his  opponent  hitting  him. 

In  the  event  of  both  competitors  continually  clinching,  regardless  of 
the  caution,  they  shall  both  be  disqualified. 


IX.  Down. 

(a)  A  man  is  deemed  "  down  "  when  any  part  of  his  person,  other 
than  his  feet,  is  on  the  ground  ;  a  competitor,  who  is  hanging 
helplessly  over  the  ropes,  z.e.,  without  being  able  to  defend 
himself,  will  also  be  deemed  down. 

(d)  If  a  competitor  is  down  he  must  get  up  unassisted  within  ten 
seconds  ;  his  opponent  meanwhile  shall  retire  out  of  striking 
distance,  and  shall  not  resume  boxing  until  ordered  to  do  so  by 
the  referee. 

(c)  A  competitor  failing  to  continue  boxing  at  the  expiration  of  ten 
seconds  shall  not  be  awarded  any  marks  for  that  round,  and 
the  bout  shall  then  terminate. 

(if)  The  ten  seconds  shall  not  be  counted  aloud  or  otherwise  in- 
dicated by  the  timekeeper  or  any  other  person,  but  the  word 
"  out "  shall  be  given  by  the  timekeeper  on  the  completion  of 
the  tenth  second  unless  the  round  is  up  meanwhile,  in  which 
case  "  time  "  will  be  called. 


2  32  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 


X.  Medical  Officer. 

A  medical  officer  must  always  be  in  attendance  at  each  meeting  held 
under  the  direction  of  the  Royal  Navy  and  Army  Boxing  Association. 

XI.  Ring. 

The  ring  shall  be  roped  from  14  to  24  feet  square.  The  posts  must 
be  padded,  and  the  floor,  if  of  wood  or  any  other  hard  substance,  must 
be  covered  with  a  carpet,  felt,  or  other  soft  material. 

XII.  Gloves. 

Gloves  are  to  be  provided  by  the  management,  and  are  to  be  of  tie 
same  pattern. 

Gloves  for  competitions  to  be  8  oz.  each. 
Gloves  for  contests  to  be  not  less  than  6  oz.  each. 

XIII.  Weighing. 

Competitors  to  weigh  in  stripped  or  in  boxing  clothes  as  they  prefer. 
If  a  competitor  is  found  to  be  too  heavy  for  the  weight  for  which  he 
is  entered,  he  may  be  allowed  to  fight  in  a  heavier  class. 

XIV.  Seconds. 

(a)  Each  competitor  may  be  attended  by  two  "  seconds." 

(d)  Seconds  shall  not  coach  or  speak  to  their  principals  or  "  claim  " 

for  them  during  the  progress  of  a  round. 

(c)  Any  offence  committed  by  a  second  may  render  his  principal 

liable  to  lose  a  bout  or  to  be  disqualified. 

XV.  Distinguishing  Colour. 
Competitors  must  wear  Distinguishing  Colours. 

XVI.  Questions  not  Legislated  for. 

In  the  event  of  any  question  arising  not  provided  for  in  these  rules 
the  referee  shall  have  full  power  to  decide  such  questions,  and  his 
decision  shall  be  final. 


APPENDIX  III  233 


APPENDIX    III 

NATIONAL  SPORTING  CLUB  BOXING  RULES. 
Contests. 

1.  All  contests  to  be  decided  in  a  roped  ring  not  less  than  14  feet 
or  more  than  20  feet  square. 

2.  Contestants  to  box  in  light  boots  or  shoes  (without  spikes)  or  in 
socks.  The  gloves  to  be  of  a  minimum  weight  of  6  ounces  each. 
Contestants  to  be  medically  examined  before  entering  the  ring,  and  to 
weigh  on  the  day  of  the  contest. 

Should  Bandages  be  agreed  to,  the  length  and  material  of  same  to 
be  approved  and  deposited  with  the  Management  of  the  Club  at  the 
time  of  signing  Articles.  The  length  of  Bandage  for  each  or  either 
hand  not  to  exceed  six  feet,  and  width  not  to  exceed  one  inch. 

3.  In  all  contests  the  number  of  rounds  shall  be  specified.  No 
contest  shall  exceed  15  rounds,  except  Championships,  which  shall  be 
limited  to  20  rounds.  No  round  shall  exceed  three  minutes  in  duration. 
The  interval  between  the  rounds  shall  be  one  minute. 

4.  A  contestant  shall  be  entitled  to  the  assistance  of  two  seconds, 
whose  names  shall  be  submitted  to  the  Committee  for  approval.  The 
seconds  shall  leave  the  ring  when  time  is  called,  and  shall  give  no 
advice  or  assistance  to  the  contestants  during  the  progress  of  any  round. 

5.  In  all  contests  a  referee  and  a  timekeeper  shall  be  appointed  by 
the  Committee.  The  referee  shall  award  a  maximum  number  of  five 
marks  at  the  end  of  each  round  to  the  better  man,  and  a  proportionate 
number  to  the  other  contestant,  or,  when  equal,  the  maximum  number 
to  each. 

If  a  contestant  is  down,  he  must  get  up  unassisted  within  ten  seconds, 
his  opponent  meanwhile  shall  retire  out  of  striking  distance,  and  shall 
not  resume  boxing  until  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  referee.  A  man  is  to  be 
considered  down  even  when  he  is  on  one  or  both  feet,  if  at  the  same 
time  any  other  part  of  his  body  is  touching  the  ground,  or  when  in  the 
act  of  rising.  A  contestant  failing  to  continue  the  contest  at  the  expira- 
tion of  ten  seconds  shall  not  be  awarded  any  marks  for  that  round,  and 
the  contest  shall  then  terminate. 

The  referee  shall  decide  all  contests  in  favour  of  the  contestant  who 
obtains  the  greatest  number  of  marks. 

If  at  the  conclusion  of  any  round  during  the  contest  one  of  the 
contestants  should  attain  such  a  lead  on  points  as  to  render  it  an 


2  34  THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 

impossibility  for  his  opponent  to  win  or  tie,  he  must  then  be  declared 
the  winner. 

Marks  shall  be  awarded  for  "attack" — direct  clean  hits  with  the 
knuckle  part  of  the  glove  of  either  hand  on  any  part  of  the  front  or  sides 
of  the  head,  or  body  above  the  belt ;  "  defence " — guarding,  slipping, 
ducking,  or  getting  away.  Where  contestants  are  otherwise  equal,  the 
majority  of  marks  shall  be  given  to  the  one  who  does  most  of  the 
leading  off  or  who  displays  the  better  style. 

6.  The  referee  shall  have  power  to  disquahfy  a  contestant  for  any 
of  the  following  acts.  For  hitting  below  the  belt,  for  using  the  pivot 
blow,  for  using  the  kidney  punch,  for  hitting  with  the  open  glove,  the 
inside  or  butt  of  the  hand,  or  with  the  wrist  or  elbow.  For  holding, 
butting,  shouldering,  intentionally  falling  without  receiving  a  blow, 
wrestling  or  roughing,  or  for  any  other  act  which  he  may  deem  foul. 
The  referee  shall  also  have  power  to  stop  the  contest  if  in  his  opinion 
a  contestant  is  outclassed  or  accidentally  disabled. 

7.  If  in  the  opinion  of  the  referee  a  deliberate  foul  is  commhted  by 
a  contestant,  such  contestant  shall  not  be  entitled  to  any  prize. 

8.  The  breaking  of  any  of  these  rules  by  a  contestant  or  his  seconds 
shall  render  such  contestant  liable  to  disqualification. 

9.  The  referee  shall  decide  (i)  any  question  not  provided  for  in  these 
rules  ;  (2)  the  interpretation  of  any  of  these  rules. 


CHAMPIONSHIPS. 
Standard  Weights. 

Fly  Weight,  8  stone  and  under. 
Bantam  Weight,  8  stone  6  pounds  and  under. 
Feather  Weight,  9  stone  and  under. 
Light  Weight,  9  stone  9  pounds  and  under. 
Welter  Weight,  10  stone  7  pounds  and  under. 
Middle  Weight,  1 1  stone  6  pounds  and  under. 
Light-Heavy  Weight,  12  stone  7  pounds  and  under. 
Heavy  Weight,  any  weight. 

To  Weigh-in  Eight  Hours  Before  Entering  the  Ring. 

Any  boxer  holding  a  Championship  must  defend  his  title  within  six 
months  after  the  receipt  of  a  challenge  for  a  minimum  stake  of  ;^ioo  a 
side,  excepting  the  Heavy  Weight,  when  the  minimum  is  to  be  ;^2oo  a 
side,  and  the  Fly  Weight,  when  the  minimum  is  to  be  ;^5o  a  side  ;  the 


APPENDIX  IV  235 

challenge  to  be  accompanied  by  a  deposit  of  £^0,  and  approved  by  the 
Committee  of  the  National  Sporting  Club. 

Challenge  belts  will  be  given  for  the  above  Championships,  which 
must  be  held  for  an  unbroken  period  of  three  years,  or  won  three  times 
(not  necessarily  consecutively)  in  order  for  same  to  become  the  absolute 
property  of  the  holder. 

The  holder  of  a  Championship  Belt  shall  not  be  permitted  to  enter 
for  another  weight  unless  the  Belt  he  has  previously  won  has  become 
his  absolute  property,  or  he  has  surrendered  same. 


APPENDIX    IV. 


CONDITIONS  FOR  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  BOXING. 

Rough  fighting  will  not  be  allowed.  The  decision  will  be  given  in 
favour  of  the  competitor  who  displays  the  best  style  and  obtains  the 
greatest  number  of  points. 

The  points  shall  be  for  "  attack  " — straight  clean  hits  withjthe  knuckles 
of  either  hand  on  any  part  of  the  front  or  sides  of  the  head  or  body 
above  the  belt :  "  defence  " — guarding,  slipping,  ducking,  counter-hitting, 
or  getting  away. 

Where  points  are  otherwise  equal,  consideration  to  be  given  to  the 
man  who  does  most  of  the  leading  off. 

No  points  are  awarded  for  a  "knock-out"  blow.  If  a  competitor  is 
seen  to  be  working  for  a  "  knock-out "  he  will  be  cautioned,  and  if  he 
does  not  desist  will  be  disqualified. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  a  "knock-out"  takes  place  by  accident  the 
decision  will  be  awarded  on  the  points  already  allotted  to  each  com- 
petitor. 

The  referee  may  after  cautioning  the  offender  disqualify  a  competitor 
who  is  boxing  unfair,  by  flicking  or  hitting  with  the  open  glove,  by  hitting 
with  the  inside  or  butt  of  the  hand,  the  wrist  or  elbow,  or  by  wrestling 
or  roughing  at  the  ropes. 


INDEX 


Advertising,  professional  methods 

of,  167-169 
Amateur  Boxing  Association,  134, 

143.  187 
Amateurs,  19,  20 
Amycus  and  Polydeuces,  4 
Army  boxing,  194-223 

championships,  199,  200 
Art  and  sport  of  boxing  compared, 

15-17,48 

Badminton  Library^  2,  30 
Ball,  punching,  108,  109 
Barclay,  Captain,  104 
Bare  Knuckles,  30-47 
Belcher,  Jem,  32,  112 
Body  blows,  63 
Borrow,  George,  18 
Boxiana^  32,  33 
Broughton,  Jack,  34 
Brutality,  21-23,  26,  27 

Captains,  duties  of,  189,  191 
Carpentier  and  Wells,  172 
Cestus,  3 

Championships,  army,  199,  200 
Public  school.  Appendix  IV. 
Champions,  World's,  173,  175. 
Chancery,  151 
Changing  feet,  88 
Cinematograph  shows,  166,  167 
Clinching,  92-94 
Clothes,  49 

Club,  National  Sporting,  182 
Clubs,  organization  of,  185-192 
Competitions,  124-145 
Contests,  length  of,  39,  206 


■37 


Comers,  72 

Corri,  Eugene,  178,  179 
Counter  Blows,  78-86 
Covering  up,  91 
Cribb,  Tom,  7,  30,  32,  104,  136 
Cross  counter,  right  hand,  80 
left  hand,  80 

Deaths  in  boxing,  29,  99 

Defence,  Actual  Self-,  146-159 

Defence,  69-77 

Diet,  113 

Donnelly,  Ned,  118,  123 

Ducking,  65,  70 

Egan,  Pierce,  16 
Embrocations,  118 
Exercises,  108 
floor.  III 

Feet,  position  of,  10,  93 
Feinting,  85 
Figg,  33 

Fitzsimmons,  88,  112 
Fouls,  7,  149,  150 
France,  boxing  in,  171,  172 

General  Hints,  48-60. 
Gloves,  49-51 

Grace,  ten  seconds',  28,  134-135 
Greek  boxing,  3- 11 
Guards,  left  arm,  83 
right  arm,  73 

Heart  blow,  98 

Heenan  and  Sayers,  25,  26 

Hellenic  Studies^  Journal  0/^  3 


238 


THE  COMPLETE  BOXER 


Homer,  4 
Hook  hits,  79,  80 

In-Fighting,  89-94 
Injuries  in  boxing,  29 
Instructors,  107,  119 

Judges,  182 

Kidney  blow,  prohibition  of,  99 
Knock-down  blows,  133,  134,  139 
Knock-out  Blows,  28,  95-103 

Maeterlinck,  M.,  24 

"  Mark,"  blow  on,  96,  97 

Mendoza,  Dan,  30,  37 

Military  Boxing  :  Its  Origin 

and  Growth,  193-209 
"  Mouth-fighting,"  166 
Muscular  development,  14 

National  Sporting  Club,  162-163. 

Appendix  III. 
Natural  methods,  i,  56 
Nigger  in  boxing,  the,  23,  1 70-1 71 

Odysseus,  3 

Olympia,  boxing  at,  10 

Organization   of   Clubs,  185- 

192 
Origin  of  Boxing,  1-12 
Outdoor  boxing,  17 
Oxford    University  Boxing   Club, 

189-190 

Paraphernalia,  186,  191 

simplicity  of,  48 
Position,  52-53 

for  street  fights,  147 
Prize-money,  2,  203-205 
Prize-ring,  30-47,  167 
Professional  Boxing,  160-175 
Public  school  boxing,  27.  Appendix 


Refereeing,  176-183 
Regimental  Boxing  Clubs,  210- 

223 
Right-handed  boxers,  144 
Right  hand  at  the  head,  75 
Ring,  fitting  up  a,  191-192 

Prize,  30,  47,  167 
Romany  Rye^  The,  18,  154 
Royal    Navy   and    Army    Boxing 

Association,  195 

Rules  of.  Appendix  II. 
Rules,  Brough ton's,  34-35 

Sack,  punching  the,  no 
Sayers  and  Heenan,  25,  26,  38,  39 
Scientific  boxing,  ultra-,  22 
Seconds,  125,  128,  131-133 
Secretaries,    duties    of    honorary, 

188 
Sentimentalists,  23-27 
Service  boxing,  193-223. 
Shaking  hands,  57 
Side-stepping,  72 
Skipping,  108 
Slipping,  71 
Smoking,  113,  114,  217 
Sparring  practice,  108 
Stepping  back,  70 
Straight  left,  the,  61,  62 
Svunmers,  Johnny,  139 
Swinging,  8,  82-84 

Thackeray,  on  boxing,  38 
Throat  blow,  7,  148 
Training,  104-123 

for  army  boxers,  214,  218 

for  boys,  107 

in  the  tropics,  219 

at  the  universities,  120 

Uppercuts,  8,  81 

Weight,  reducing,  116 

Wells,  Bombardier,  172,  179,  221 


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